Ten-Armed Game 



deep water. The octopus retains its hold upon the 

 bottom with two or three tentacles, seizes the victim 

 with the others, then releasing the anchors, pounces 

 upon its prey, the outspread membranes giving the 

 animal the appearance of a miniature umbrella, which 

 settles down upon the struggling victim as though to 

 smother it, a movement which brings the mouth and 

 biting beaks into position where they presently find 

 a vital part. 



At various times I had from three to five devil- 

 fishes in an inclosure, where I could watch them 

 change color and test their strength. In confinement, 

 if the tank bottom was dark, they assumed various 

 tints, generally a dark reddish brown ; but the largest 

 one was a tiger-like creature, about three feet across, 

 with a ground of livid white covered with black or 

 dark gray blotches, giving it a truly fiendish appear- 

 ance, especially as the eyes were conspicuous and 

 appeared to emit lambent gleams. The change of 

 color was marvelous in its rapidity. In a special 

 tank in which two of these prisoners were confined 

 they occupied the corners, facing outward, with arms 

 either coiled under or above them. At any offensive 

 movement on my part, presenting my hand under 

 water, the color scheme would change. A blush 

 appeared to pass over the entire surface; and in a 

 large squid I can only compare it to heat lightning, 

 a rapid and continued series of flushing and paling, 

 from deep brick red to gray. It was very evident 



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