3 



50 



Marvels of the Universe 



of being globular, and that in addition to the eight 

 arms of the Octopus it has two tentacles three or 

 four times the length of the arms. Also, the hinder 

 upper part of the body is provided with a pair of 

 fins, which enable the Squid to swim in the middle 

 or upper waters, whilst the Octopus is compelled 

 to crawl over the bottom. The Octopus has merely 

 the rudiments of a skeleton, represented by a 

 couple of small rods embedded in his outer integu- 

 ment. In the Squid the rods are developed into 

 what is known as the pen, a long, flat band of clear, 

 thin gristle, in adult specimens fifteen to eighteen 

 inches in length. To give it additional strength 

 this pen is keeled along its under side. It is not 

 easy to get a perfect e.xample, as it is very fragile ; 

 tender and easily torn when fresh, brittle when dry. 

 One would imagine that to this " sort of a back- 

 bone " the muscles of the Squid would be attached, 

 but this is not the case : the pen lies quite loosely 

 in the mantle. A reduced photograph of two of 

 these pens will be found on page 351. 



Like the Octopus, the Squid has a water-siphon, 

 through which it can eject a very forcible jet 

 of water, which has the effect of sending the 

 Squid rapidly backwards. It may sound Irish, but 

 this is its mode of progression, modified by the 

 action of its fins. Into the siphon there opens a 

 tube connected with the ink-bag. Though the 

 ink-bag is small, its contents are so highly concen- 

 trated that only a very small quantity poured 

 into the outgoing current of water is sufficient to 

 produce a dense black cloud in the surrounding sea, 

 enabling the Squid to shoot back out of sight and sink to the sands, where its colouring renders it 

 inconspicuous. 



As in the Octopus, the eight arms, as well as the two tentacles at their broad extremities, are 

 covered on their inner face with powerful suckers, by which they attach themselves to their prey 

 whilst the parrot-like beak is tearing it to pieces. Fish is the principal food ; and let us not exclaim, 

 ■' Poor fish ! " for there are few things fishes appreciate more in the way of food than the flesh of the 

 Squid. It is generally a matter of which is the bigger ; if the fish, then the Squid may be eaten ; 

 if the Squid, then the fish may be the victim. There is no better bait for sea-fishing than the flesh 

 of Squid, and it is one of the principal foods of the sperm whale. 



The eggs of the Squid are laid in long capsules of a gelatinous character, each capsule containing 

 a number of eggs, and man}' capsules being attached together to form what fishermen know as a 

 " sea-mop," which will contain about forty thousand eggs. 



The Squid is the largest of the Cuttles found ordinarily around the British Islands. Without 

 reckoning the arms, its length is about two feet. Occasionally we have had visits from much larger 

 species. The largest-known Cuttles swimming on the surface with arm_s extended have no doubt 

 upon occasion served as the great sea-serpent. One of these was cast upon the shore of County 

 Kerry a couple of hundred years ago, and was ascertained to have been nineteen feet in length. 



Plwlobu'] [II 



A TASMANIAN SQUID. 



This Squid differs from the European kind maini; 

 in the rounded margins of the fins. 



