26 



Marvels of the Universe 



as her supply of building material lasts, and returning to the cluster for another period of quiescence 

 while her wax-pockets are replenishing. 



The entire conception of a honey-comb is perhaps the most perfect example in existence of the 

 triumph of mind over matter, whether we look for it among the marvels of the natural universe or 

 the works of man. 



THE COMMON OCTOPUS 



BY FRANK T. BULLEN, F.R.G.S. 



Beauty of form and radiance of colour are undoubtedly the possession of a vast number of 

 the inhabitants of the ocean, and in many cases the beautiful are also the useful in every sense. 

 But in the opposite direction it is doubtful whether any of the inhabitants of earth, even among 

 the reptiles, can begin to compare with the majority of the deep-sea folk in the matter of absolute 

 hideousness of detail both of form and colour. And this is the case with all the immense varieties 

 of the moUusca, one of the chief of which is the subject of the present brief sketch. 



The Octopus is, as his name indicates, an eight-armed creature, which differentiates him from 

 all the mighty army of squid or cuttle-fish, all of whom possess, in addition to the eight equally 

 lengthy arms owned by the Octopus, two additional tentacles of double the length of the others 

 and of a different shape. They spring from the crown of the head like the rest, but for nearlv 

 the whole of their length have a smooth stem. At a short distance from the remote end from the 

 head they are armed with a few sucking discs, but they do not appear to be used for any other 

 purpose than that of antenna or feelers. 



These organs are not possessed by the Octopus, which is indeed different from the squid in other 

 important details. The shape of the body of the Octopus is nearly globular and is vastly dispro- 



Pnow Hi/] 



[/. iiiti£L 



THE OCTOPUS. 



The Octopus is here shown at rest on the sea-bottom, waiting for a victim or digesting his last meal. If suddenly alarmed 

 helcan conceal himself by ejecting a little ink. producing a dense black cloud, under cover of which he escapes. 



