VORACITY OP THE " CRASS " 105 



of an ordinary hat. Some of them are scarlet, 

 some pink, some lilac, some delicate grey, some 

 of an olive-green, and all so delicately transparent 

 that no colour can faithfully represent their 

 beauty. On referring to the engraving, the reader 

 will see that the base of each tentacle is sur- 

 rounded with a pear-shaped, dark line. It is on 

 this line that the depth of colour is chiefly 

 lavished, the tentacle itself being always much 

 fainter in tint, and as transparent as if formed 

 from gelatine. The tentacles are very thick in 

 proportion to their length, and it is from that 

 peculiarity that the creature derives its name of 

 crassicornis," signifying thick-horned." 

 The voracity of these animals is quite sur- 

 prising. I have often amused myself by watching 

 them in their native haunts, and experimenting 

 upon their powers of digestion. One single crass," 

 measuring barely three inches in diameter, re- 

 quired two crabs, each the size of a penny -piece, 

 and a lar^e limpet, before it ceased to beg with 

 extended arms. 



It is evident by the fact of the crab-eating that 

 the crass must possess great powers of grasp, 

 or it could never hold, retain, drag to its mouth, 

 and finally devour, a creature of such strength as 

 a crab of the size above-mentioned. Such a crab 



