A HEAD-FOOTED NEST-BUILDER. 201 



case of the octopus, which has been gifted with sense 

 and passion far beyond any other mollusk. 



In trying to get some comprehension of the re- 

 markable anatomy of these creatures, it may help us 

 to imagine some monstrous form of man or beast in 

 which the body is so bent that its extremities are 

 brought close together, and the limbs surround the 

 head. Instead of four, however, an octopus has eight 

 limbs ; these serve both as legs to walk upon or arms to 

 grasp and carry substances or grapple with enemies 

 or capture prey. They are, in fact, like eight strong, 

 flexible serpents united at one extremity to one head 

 and body, but far more formidable than serpents, be- 

 cause they each have their under surfaces provided 

 with rows of disklike suckers, that take hold with 

 such force and hold on with such tenacity to what 

 they have grasped that nothing short of tearing to 

 pieces the limb by which they retain their hold will 

 induce them to let go their hold. 



The head is provided with a strong, horny beak 

 like that of a parrot, and large and brilliant eyes that 

 well express the keen alertness and savage activity of 

 the creature. 



Besides their limbs, by the aid of which octopods 

 can swim and walk head downward on the bottom of 

 the sea, they are provided with a fleshy tube through 

 which they can force a stream of water that sends 

 them backward. In some species of cephalopods or 

 head -footed animals this can be done with such vio- 

 lence that they shoot like arrows through the water, 

 and even, it is said, like the flying fish, take long, 

 15 



