ELEDONE. 471 
lesser Octopus,” as 1t never attains the size of the common 
- Octopus. It is also distinguishable by the single row of 
suckers on each arm. 
OccURRENCE. 
During the spring, Eledone is brought in from depths 
of 30 to 35 fathoms, at Plymouth and Port Erin, by 
trawlers and other fishermen. At this season, young 
specimens have also been taken occasionally in a few 
inches of water, at low water of spring tides, at Port 
Erin. The Kledones brought up in the trawl are probably 
caught while adhering to or creeping over stones and 
rocks, or while swimming near the sea bottom. They 
seem to occur in small groups of two to six in number. 
At Port Erin and Plymouth they are also taken in crab 
and lobster pots. These, at Port Erin, are put out at 
depths of from six fathoms inside the bay to twelve 
fathoms outside it. Although Hledone is always fed on 
Crustacea, when kept in captivity, and careful examina- 
tion of about fifty specimens has shown no other than 
Crustacean food in the gut, yet occasionally at Port Erin, 
the fishermen have taken Eledone on hand lines baited 
with pieces of herring and mackerel. The mouths and 
oral surfaces of such specimens are lacerated by the hook, 
showing that the Hledones actually attack the bait. 
During the winter Hledone leaves the shallow water, — 
round the South coast of Devonshire, and seeks the 
warmer and deeper water in the centre of the channel. 
Specimens taken in this season, from deep water, 
generally die before the trawlers get back, probably from 
cold. With the warmer months Eledone comes further 
in, and so from May to September it is taken in 
Plymouth Sound, at an average depth of eight fathoms; 
and in a hot summer it is unusually abundant. Some- 
