130 



ALONG THE FLORIDA REEF. 



" It's exactly like a parrot's beak," interrupted 

 Tom, who was following his father with his knife 

 on the octopus. 



Octopus punctatus. 



" Yes," replied the doctor ; " the only appar- 

 ent difference is that the upper bill fits into the 

 lower one, and not over it, as in the birds. The 

 animal lives on the bottom, gliding in and out 

 through the small crevices of the coral with per- 

 fect ease, and some varieties have a web-like 

 growth between the arms, with which they 

 swim ; but they are essentially bottom animals, 

 throwing out a cloud of ink and escaping under 

 its protection, just as this one attempted to do 



