THE KRAKEN. 
17 
a fish or crustacean as strong as a good sized shore-crab. 
But, as compensation for the shortness of the eight arms, they 
are provided with two others more than three times the 
length of the short ones. These are so slender that they 
generally lie coiled up in a spiral cone in two pockets, one 
on each side, just below the eye, when the animal is 
quiescent, and are only seen when it takes its food. These 
long, slender tentacular arms are expanded at their extre- 
mity, and the inner surface of their enlarged part is studded 
with suckers — some of them larger in size than those on 
the eight shorter arms. As the food of these swimmers 
consists, of course, chiefly of fish, their sucking disks are 
curiously modified for the better retention of a slippery 
captive. A horny ring with a sharply serrated edge is im- 
bedded in the outer circumference of each of them, and 
when a vacuum is formed, the keen, saw-like teeth are 
pressed into the skin or scales of the unfortunate prisoner, 
and deprive it of the slightest chance of escape. 
The manner in which the eight-armed and ten-armed 
cephalopods capture their prey is similar in principle and 
'plan, but differs in action in accordance with their mode of 
life. The ordinary habit of the octopus is either to rest 
suspended to the side of a rock to which it clings with the 
suckers of several of its arms, or to remain lurking in some 
favourite cranny ; its body thrust for protection and conceal- 
ment well back in the interior of the recess ; its bright eyes 
keenly on the watch ; three or four of its limbs firmly 
attached to the walls of its hiding place — the others gently 
waving, gliding, and feeling about in the water, as if to 
maintain its vigilance, and keep itself always on the alert, 
and in readiness to pounce on any unfortunate wayfarer 
that may pass near its den. To a shore-crab that comes 
within its reach the slightest contact with one of those lithe 
c 
