3 6 2 THE ROCK SQUID. 



extraordinary-looking animal crawling towards the surf, which had only just left it. 

 I had never seen one like it under such circumstances before ; it therefore appeared 

 the more remarkable. 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 tentacles only a small distance from the rocks. 



It appeared much alarmed at seeing me, and made every effort to escape, while I was 

 not much in the humor to endeavor to capture so ugly a creature, whose appearance 

 excited a feeling of disgust not unmingled with fear. I, however, endeavored to 

 prevent its career by pressing on one of its legs with my foot, but although I made use 

 of considerable force for that purpose, its strength was so great that it several times 

 quickly liberated that member, in spite of all the efforts I could employ in this way on 

 wet slippery rocks. 



I now laid hold of one of the tentacles with my hand, and held it firmly, so that the 

 limb appeared as if it would be torn asunder by our united strength. I soon gave it a 

 powerful jerk, wishing to disengage it from the rock to which it clung so forcibly by its 

 suckers, which it effectually resisted. But the moment after, the apparently enraged 

 animal lifted its head, with its large eyes projecting from the middle of its body, and, 

 letting go its hold of the rocks, suddenly sprung upon my arm, which I had previously 

 bared to my shoulder for the purpose of thrusting it into holes of the rocks to discover 

 shells, and clung with all its suckers to it with great power, endeavoring to get its 

 beak, which I could now see between the roots of its arms, in a position to bite. 



A sensation of horror pervaded my whole frame when I found this monstrous animal 

 had affixed itself so firmly upon my arm. Its cold slimy grasp was extremely sickening, 

 and I immediately called aloud to the captain, who was also searching for shells at some 

 distance, to come and release me from my disgusting assailant. He quickly arrived, 

 and taking me down to the boat, during which time I was employed in keeping the 

 beak away from my hand, quickly released me by destroying my tormentor with the 

 boat knife, when I disengaged it by portions at a time. This animal must have 

 measured across its expanded arms about four feet, while its body was not larger than a 

 large clenched hand. It was that species of Sepia which is called by the whalers Rock 

 Squid." This formidable creature was probably one of the ARMED CALAMARIES 

 (Enoploteuthis). 



These molluscs possess the property of changing their colors at will, and rival even 

 the chameleon in the rapidity with which the varied tints flit over their surface like 

 cloud shadows over the fields. The structure by which this process is achieved is very 

 interesting. Over the surface of the animal is spread a thin integument, containing a 

 vast number of circular or oval vesicles filled with a colored fluid. This fluid is of 

 various tints, such as black, brown, yellow, indigo, azure, and red, and in many species 

 three or four of these colors are found. The vesicles are gifted with a most mysterious 

 power of contraction and expansion, though they have no apparent connection with the 

 nervous system. The least touch will set them in motion, and exposure to light has 

 the same effect, even after the death of the animal, or if a portion of the skin be 

 removed from the body. It is evident that the tint of the surface is caused by the 

 particular vesicles which are expanded, and its depth by the degree of expansion. 



The celebrated " ink " of these creatures, from which the valuable color called 

 " sepia " was formerly obtained, deserves a brief notice. 



This substance is liquid, and is secreted in a sac popularly termed, from its office, 

 the " ink-bag." The sac is filled with a spongy kind of matter, in which the ink lies, 

 and from which it can be forcibly expelled at the will of the animal. The ink-bag is 

 not always in the same position, but some species have it in the liver, others near the 

 siphon, and others among the viscera. There is a communication between the ink-bag 

 and the siphon, so that when the ink is ejected, it is forcibly thrown out together with 

 the water, so that the very effort for escape serves the double purpose of urging the 

 creature away from danger and discoloring the water in which it swims. The animal 

 can eject the ink with such force that it has been known to dedecorate a naval officer's 

 white duck trousers with its liquid missile, the aggrieved individual always asserting 

 that it took deliberate aim for that purpose. 



