creature, by associating 1 it, divested of exaggeration, with the colossal 
cuttlefish, whose reality, within certain dimensions, is established; and 
the only tangible circumstance on record, which may justify the claim of 
the kraken to remain in the category of natural history, even as an “ open 
question,” does certainly strengthen this conclusion. It is also given on 
the authority of Pontoppidan, who received the information from the Rev. 
M. Freis, minister of Bodsen “ that in the year 1680, a kraken, perhaps a 
young and careless one, came into the water that runs between the rocks 
and cliffs in the parish of Alstabourg. It happened that its extended long 
arms or antennce, which this creature seems to use like a snail , caught hold of 
some trees standing near the water, which might have been easily torn up 
by the roots; but besides this, as it was found afterwards, he entangled 
himself in some openings or clefts in the rock, and therein stuck so fast, 
and hung so unfortunately that he could not work himself out, but perished, 
and putrified on the spot. The carcass, which was a long time decaying, 
and filled most part of the narrow channel, made it almost impassable by 
its intolerable stench.” 
In the chapter on the kraken in the Naturalists’ Library, it is stated 
(authority not given), that about seventy years ago, the remains of a dead 
kraken were found driven to the mouth of a large cave in the island of 
Meikle Roe. 
Like the good bishop Pontoppidan, we must all lament that these rare 
opportunities for solving doubt were not availed of. I would add a 
remark, that it is very probably consonant with the habits of the cuttle 
fish for them to project their tentacula above the surface of the water; 
but however vast we may imagine one of these creatures to become, still 
the phenomena of its appearance at the surface would not correspond with 
the accounts of the old Norwegian kraken. 
The tentacula of a cuttle fish would be projected above the surface 
round a common centre, and no part would be seen beyond or outside the 
arms, unless the creature rose to the top horizontally, in which case the 
tentacula would not be vertical “ like the masts of a ship,” as Pontoppidan 
says. The only known animal form which magnified to a kraken would 
accurately conform to the circumstances of its legendary appearance, is 
to be found probably among the echinodermata; as, for instance, the 
star fish. These animals are found in very large size (and rare in pro¬ 
portion to their size), and singular appearance, in the Norwegian and 
Shetland seas, as much as two feet across the body and rays. The rays of 
this family are divided and subdivided towards the extremities, so as to 
present at a distance a disk-like appearance, and the whole surface of the 
