MOLLUSKS 



163 



the victims in their sucker-bearing arms, and crashing the prey in 

 their sharp, parrot-like heaks. 



Nothing in nature is more gruesome and hideous than the 

 sinuous writhing of these creatures, or more strangely fascinating 

 than the wonderful play of varied colors over their soft, pulsating 

 bodies, this movement contrasted all the time with the cruel, stony 

 stare of their expressionless eyes. 



The octopus often takes up its abode within some rocky crev- 

 ice, and lies safely hidden in the shadow, at the same time similat- 

 ing the color of its surroundings so that its victims do not perceive 



^H.B.JuffY 



Fig. i/j; OCTOrUS AMERICANUS. From a painting made at Tortugas, Fla., 

 by Herbert B. Judy. 



their danger until grasped by the suckers of the long, muscular 

 arms. This habit of seeking caverns is well known to the Japan- 

 ese, who capture t)ie octopus for the market by simply sinking 

 earthenware urns over night, and then drawing them up in the 

 morning, when some of them are found to be occupied by these 

 repulsive creatures. 



Despite their generally musky odor octopi and sc[uids are eaten 



