408 



MOLLUSCA. 



§^r'^ 



MR. BEALE AND THE POULPE. 



each other with mutual surprise ; after a time the officer advanced a little, when, quick as thought, 

 the poulpe discharged a spray of ink, and taking good aim at the snowy pants, spattered them 

 with indelible stains, which rendered them, ever after, unpresentable. 



This species seems to be widely distributed in almost all seas. In the North Atlantic 

 it is usually of small size, but in the Mediterranean it is sometimes so large as to weigh a hundred 

 pounds; the body of one has been seen of the size of a barrel, and with arms as thick as 

 those of a man. In the tropical seas they are said to be much birger, and so fierce as sometimes 

 to attack boats and drag them under water. We are told that in the Indian waters, such things 

 have actually happened, and in certain localities the boatmen always keep themselves supplied 

 with axes to cut off the arms of these monsters, in case of an attack. Their remarkable spirit, i 

 as well as their strength, is evinced by an adventure which Mr. Beale, an Englishman, had 

 with one of them among the rocks of the Bonin Islands, where he had gone ashore to seek for 

 shells. As he was moving about, he was suddenly arrested by seeing at his feet a most extra- 

 ordinary looking animal, crawling toward the surf, which it had only just left. It was creeping 

 on its eight legs, which, from their soft and flexible nature, bent considerably under the weight 

 of its body, so that it was lifted by the efforts of its tentacula only a small distance from the 

 rocks. It appeared much alarmed at seeing him, and made every effort to escape. Mr. Beale 

 endeavored to stop it by pressing on one of its legs with his foot ; but, although he used con- 

 siderable force for that purpose, its strength was so great that it several times liberated its mem- j 

 ber in spite of all the efforts he could employ on the wet and slippery rocks. He then laid hold 

 on one of the tentacles with his hand and held it firmly, so that it appeared as if the limb would - 

 be torn asunder by the united eftbrts of himself and the creature. lie then gave it a powerful 

 jerk, wishing to disengage it from the rocks to which it clung so forcibly by its suckers. This 

 effort it effectually resisted ; but the moment after, the apparently enraged animal lifted its head 

 with its large projecting eyes, and loosing its hold of the rocks, suddenly sprang upon Mr. Beale's 



