The Devil-fishes. Octopi 



It is the experience of keepers of aquaria that the curled 

 octopus, Eledone cirrosa, is never safely put into a tank with 

 Octopus vulgaris. A fierce cannibalistic zeal consumes the latter, 

 and he consumes every specimen of his more gentle-mannered 

 cousin. Even larger individuals than himself are attacked and 

 destroyed. He apparently recognises his relative as a non-resist- 

 ant, and fears no opposition. 



It is in his conflicts with man himself that the octopus earns 

 the name of devil-fish. The cruel, vindictive expression of the 

 eye seems to be a true index to the spirit with which the animal 

 comports itself in combat with mortals. Fishermen dealing 

 with octopi always carry axes to cut loose the arms if they are 

 fastened on the boat. The power exerted by the suckers is 

 tremendous. An octopus with a few of its arms holding on to 

 the rocks has a few free with which to seize a swimmer. It is easy 

 to bind him hand and foot. An over-reckless man is often 

 drowned in two or three feet of water, overpowered by an octopus 

 with arms of four feet spread and a body scarcely as large as his 

 fist. Scientists without experience of this cephalopod tempt 

 death in an effort to "collect" specimens of this sort, and need 

 help to prevent the octopus from collecting a man. "Mansucker" 

 is one of its local names. It treats all victims alike, except that 

 it picks the bones of vertebrates. 



Denys Montfort describes an encounter between an octopus 

 with arms three feet long and a great mastiff whose courage and 

 strength had overcome a wolf which attacked his master. The 

 dog first ran around the devil-fish trying to seize its arms ; but the 

 creature skilfully withdrew each in turn, and used them to lash 

 the dog over the back as if with whips. The angry dog at length 

 got hold of an arm, but was immediately embraced by four others, 

 which threatened to strangle him. The octopus started toward 

 the water, its helpless victim howling piteously and the colour 

 of its body changing from purplish to red. It made good head- 

 way, clinging to rocks as it went with its four free arms. M. 

 Montfort here interfered, and succeeded in wrenching loose two 

 arms from the dog's body. The octopus uttered cries like the 

 angry growl of a watch dog. Leaving the dog it attacked the 

 man. but was at length overpowered. Though the arms spread 

 nine feet, the body was not larger than a small pumpkin. 



One feature of the attack quite as important to reckon with 



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