GIGANTIC CEPHALOPODA 87 



by a ship of this port whilst anchored on the coast of Angola. 

 A Poulpe of dreadful dimensions attached itself to the vessel 

 and aUempted to sink it. Urandpre. author of a voyage to 

 AlViea. eerlilies to the existence of monstrous Poulpcs ai a 

 certain distance from the land. Another sailor, Jean Magnus 

 Dens. was. according' to Montfort, attacked by a giganlic 

 " Kncornet . " during the passage between the island of St. 

 Helena and Cape Negro. 



Leaving these suspicious documents for the relations of those 

 more worthy of confidence, we find the following in Quoy and 

 (iaimard (" Voy. Uranic " J. 2d Part, 411): 



In the Atlantic Ocean, near ihe equator, we collecied ;he 

 n mains of an enormous Calamary. What was left of it might 

 weigh 100 pounds, and it was but a longitudinal moiety deprived 

 of its tentacles, so thai one can without exaggeration assign [he 



O? } 



weight of -2(}() pounds to the entire animal. 



Hang ( Manuel des Moll./' SIJ) is not less explicit. \Ye have 

 encountered in the middle of the ocean, a species quite distinct 

 from the others, of u very dark red, having short arms, and the 

 si/e of a tun. 



Mr. ,1. S. (Jcorge. of Nassau. N. I'.. Bahamas, mentions that, 

 a monster Octopus was found dead upon the beach. 1 1 was 10 

 feel long, each arm measuring f> fee; ; the weight was estimated 

 at between -JOO and -'500 pounds. Mr. (eorge adds "this is t lu- 

 ll rs 1 . specimen 1 have seen during twenty-seven years' residence 

 in Bahamas, but ihey are known here traditionally of immense 

 size.* 



On i he oOl h of November. ISIJO. the Krench steamer AU'don, 

 commanded by Lieut. IJouyer. encountered, bciween Madeira 

 and Ti'iu'rilli 1 . an enormous I'oulpe. Avhich was swimming on the 

 surface of ihe water. The animal measured 15 to 18 feet in 

 length, without counting the formidable arms, covered with 

 cups, which crowned i!s'he:id. lis color was brick-red; its eyes 

 had a prodigious development and frightful fixity. Its mouth, 

 like the beak of a pa rrot. could be opened to the extent of IS 

 inches. Its body, fusiform but much swelled towards the centre. 



Am. Naturalist, vi, 7T V 3, 1872, 



