The Flying Squids and Giant Squids 



disks of the suckers are sometimes as big as dinner plates, 

 according to some authorities. These are strongly stalked, and 

 toothed at the edges with a piston in the cup of each capable of 

 terrific suction power. There are cushions on the opposite 

 tentacles enabling the two to clasp almost immovably at any 

 point along their faces. A group of these clusters at the base 

 of each tentacle. The genus has rarely shown itself to scientists. 

 A few specimens of it have been captured chiefly in northern 

 waters. It is theorized by some authorities that these creatures 

 are much more numerous than might be thought; that they keep 

 to abyssmal depths, coming to the surface only when about to die. 



The great Polypus, colossal Cuttle-fish, gigantic Squid, giant 

 Sea-devil, Sea Mischief, Kraken, Krabben, Ankertrold, Soe- 

 horven, or Haf-gufa is a better abused beast than the sea serpent. 

 Its existence has been more clearly proved and more quietly 

 ignored than the other. 



Bishop Pontippidan in his "Natural History of Norway" 

 (1751), is spokesman for the seafaring people of the North Sea 

 region, though he assumes no responsibility for the statements. 



I relate what is affirmed by many. The monster is flat 

 and round and surrounded by arms. As it rises to the surface, 

 the appearance is at first like a number of islands, surrounded 

 by something that floats and fluctuates like seaweed. At last 

 several bright horns rise as high as the masts of good-sized vessels. 

 It is said that if the arms were to lay hold of the largest man- 

 of-war they would pull it down to the bottom. 



The Rev. Moses Harvey has the honour of discovering the 

 Kraken on our own northeastern coast in 1873. Professor A. E. 

 Verrill has named the monster in his honour in an exhaustive 

 monograph on "Gigantic Cephalopods." 



The Giant Squid {A. Harveyi, Verrill). Body eight to ten feet 

 long, barrel-shaped, tapering; fins terminal, united forming broad- 

 ened dart like an arrow head, neck flexible; head of moderate 

 size; eyes prominent, dark, socket four inches across; sessile arms 

 narrow, pointed, ten feet long, with two rows of horny-rimmed 

 suckers; tentacular arms, forty feet long, thread-like, with spoon- 

 shaped club set with suckers, the largest ones in two rows. 

 Found in deep water off Newfoundland coast. Locomotion, very 

 swift and graceful, in a backward direction. 



The cold slimy touch of the skin of these monsters seems 

 to paralyse as well as sicken whoever feels it. All observers 



457 



