272 DIVISION I. VEKTEBKAL ANIMALS. 



ccrtftin tract of lanil, wliicli ;it other times disappears, and is again seen in 

 another place. IJuneus lias placed tliis as an isLmd in his map. The peas- 

 ants say it is not always seen, and that it lies in the open sea ; bnt I could 

 not tind it. On Sunday I saw something like three points of land in the 

 sea, which snr[irised nie. Upon this I went to in(piirc of a peasant, but on 

 our return we could see nothing of it. IS\nv, who is it that cannot discover 

 that this visible and invisible island is nothing else than the kraken, improp- 

 erly placed in the map byBuranis? Probably the creature keeps himself 

 alwavs about that spot, and often rises about the rocks and cliifs." 



" At first view this account can scarcely be regarded in any other light 

 than that of mere fable ; and yet, probably without much difficult}', this ex- 

 traordinarv kraken may be ideutiiied with certain species of sepia or cuttle- 

 fish, which have been described in the Annals of Science." 



j\Ir. Pennant describes an eight-armed cuttle-fish, and says, that '' in the 

 Indian seas tliis species has been found of such a size as to measure twelve 

 feet in breadth across the central part, while each arm was fifty-four feet in 

 length, thus making it extend, from point to point, about one hundred and 

 twenty feet, lie further states that the natives of the Indian isles, wdien 

 sailing in their canoes, always take care to be provided with hatchets, in 

 order innncdiately to cut off the arms of such of these animals as happen to 

 fling them over the sides of the canoe, lest they should pull it under water and 

 sink it."' The opinion of Dr. Shaw is equally decided regarding the occur- 

 rence of this animal. 



" The existence of some enormously large species of the cuttle-fish tribe in 

 the Indian northerii seas can hardly be doubted; and though some accounts 

 may lia\e Ijeeu much exaggerated, yet there is sufficient cause for believing 

 that such species ma}' very far surpass all that arc generally observed about 

 the coasts of European seas. A modern naturalist chooses to distinguish this 

 tremendous species by the title of the Colossal Cuttle-fish, and seems amply 

 disposed to believe all that has been related of its ravages. A northern nav- 

 igator, of the name of Dens, is said, some years ago, to have lost three of his 

 men in the African seas by a monster of this kind, which unexpectedly made 

 its appearance while these men were employed, during a calm, in raking the 

 sides of the vessel. The colossal fisli seized the men in its arms, and drew 

 them under water, in spite of every effort to preserve them ; the thickness of 

 one of the arms, which was cut off in the contest, was that of a mizzeu-mast, 

 and the suckers of the size of pot-lids." 



But the most zealous author who treats of this animal is undoubtedly 

 Denys ]\Iontfort. In his work on the Natural History of the Mollusca, there 

 are manv instances mentioned of its occurrence in various parts of the world, 

 the particulars of which he was so fortunate as to procure from those who were 



