IhiANTir CKIMIALOI'ODS. 



presented an enormous muss, ilu- weight of which has been esti- 

 mated at num. 1 than -1-100 pounds. Us Cms. situated at ilu- 

 posterior extremity, were rounded in two lleshy lobes and of 

 very hirji'c si/c. The commander of tin- vessel on perceiving it. 

 halted upon his course and made preparations for capturing ihe 

 inonsier. (Jims were charged and harpoons hastily prepared ; 

 lull at the lirsl diseha rjc of tin- foriner. the animal dived under 

 ihe ship and immediately appeared on ihe oihcrsidc. Attacked 

 ail'ain with harpoons, il disappeared two or three times, and. 

 each time that it reascended to the surface, its lon^ arms 

 writhed. The ship followed or arrested ils course accordin 

 the movements of the animal. This chase lasted morethan ihree 

 hours. The commander of ihe Aleeion was determined to 

 capture this new kind of enemy; nevertheless he did not dare- 

 to lower a boat, for a. single arm of this cephalopod would sullice 

 to overturn it. The. harpoons which were launched at ii pene- 

 trated the Ilahhy llesh and came out without success: several 

 halls traversed it also unsuccessfully. Nevertheless it received 

 one of them which appeared to wound it badly, causing it to 

 vomit a i^reat quantity of frothy matter and blood mixed with 

 viscid matter which spread :i strong odor of musk. It was ai 

 this instant that they succeeded in lassoing the animal, but the 

 rope slid alon - the elastic body until arrested by the lins. 

 Attempt inii' to haul their pri/e aboard, they had already raised 

 the greater part of the animal from the water when its enormous 

 weight caused t he rope to penci rate ihe llesh and separate the 

 posierior portion of the body which was drawn on board, 

 whilst the rest disappeared in the sea. 



The above is condensed from a Idler addressed lo M. Motpiin 

 Tandon. by M. Sabin IJertholet. consul of France, at the ( 1 ana- 

 ries. who saw the fragment alluded to. and received the relation 

 of ihe commandant of the vessel. One of the ollicers made a 

 sketch of this animal, which, in conjunction with ihe description, 

 is considered by Messrs. ( Yosse and Fisher sufficiently exact to 

 warrant them in determining i! to belong to a new species of 

 Lolij^o. which they name L. limnjcri. The figure and desci'ip! ion 

 show but eiixht arms, but the elongated form of I he body. 1 he 

 proporl ional shortness of the arms and the presence of the pos- 





