Ten- Armed Game 



stated to me that an octopus, at least twenty feet 

 across, was found in a kelp-lined pool near that city, 

 that undoubtedly displayed hostile designs upon him. 

 He was leaping from rock to rock, and in passing a 

 pool a long sinuous arm came, trembling, up from 

 the weed and nearly caught him by the bare leg. He 

 went for assistance, and the monster was finally 

 captured, after resisting the strength of two or three 

 men, although a stout rope had been fastened about 

 its body, which was as large as a man's head. An 

 acquaintance of mine, a naturalist, in collecting shells 

 in the kelp-lined pools near Point Firman, heard the 

 cries of some children, and on running to the spot, 

 saw a large octopus crawling toward them, almost 

 out of the water, raising its tentacles in the air. 

 The children thought that it was chasing them, but 

 undoubtedly cut off by the tide, and alarmed, it was 

 making for deep water. The real danger in such a 

 meeting lies in the horror inspired by the appearance 

 of such a creature and the possible effect upon observ- 

 ers with weak nerves. 



In hunting octopi along the rocks of Santa Catalina 

 I found that large specimens came in with the tide, or 

 crept from their dens to the edge of the water to 

 watch for a species of crab that lived at the water 

 line. By peering over the rocks I watched their 

 maneuvers. Sighting a crab sunning itself in fan- 

 cied security, the octopus would creep along, its body 

 adopting the exact color of the bottom, until it 



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