120 



CLAMS, (lYSl'ERS, AND MUSSELS 



\ 



in length. The octopus, as its name in(hcates, has eight 

 arms, all of which are provided with suckers. Although 



many thrilling tales 

 have been written 

 about the devilfish, 

 or octopus, n(jt one 

 authentic account has 

 been given of actual 

 harm done to man Ijy 

 this creature. In fact, 

 it seems to be rather 

 timid m its natural 

 liaunts, retreating 

 from tlie presence of 

 man. Its food con- 

 sists almost entirely 

 of crabs, clams, etc. 

 The octopus is eaten 

 as food by some of 

 the people about the 

 Mediterranean. 





Fig. (10. — (/iinlcfisU. 



Pearly nautilus. — This niember of the Cephalopoda has 

 a well-formed shell coiled in a flat spiral. The interior of 

 the shell is divided by partitions into chambers. The ani- 

 mal itself occupies the large outer chamber; and the only 

 communication it has with the other chambers is by means 

 of a long tu))e, the ^iplivncle, \\\\n-\v pierces the center of 

 each partition and extends Ihrougli all of them to the tip 

 en<I of the shell. Tlie peajl_y nautilus is tiie only surviving 

 member of a large gi-oup, the annuonites, that lived during 

 past ages of tlic (';irlirs liislory. The shells of the pearly 

 nautilus are common (Fig. 07), jjut the animals themselves 



