154 
ANIMAL CURIOSITIES 
Not all of the cephalopods have the same 
number of limbs, some of them possessing 
eight and others ten; those that have the 
smaller number being called octopods and the 
others being termed decapods . 
Although the animals utilize their arms as 
organs of locomotion for walking upon, they 
also progress by expelling water through a 
curious membranous tube, connected with 
the gill chamber, known as the “ funnel ” or 
“ siphon.” 
This organ can be turned .to the right or 
left, thereby enabling the creatures to guide 
themselves, while their speed can be regulated 
by controlling the force of the water expelled 
through the siphon. The animals walk with 
their head downwards, and when making use 
of their siphon they shoot through the water 
backwards 
One of the most familiar of the cephalopods 
is the octopus, of which there are about ninety 
known species found in various parts of the 
world, some of them inhabiting the seas around 
our coasts. 
Many sensational stories have been written 
about these creatures, and the size to which 
they grow has been subject to much exaggera¬ 
tion. 
The largest individuals do not possess ten- 
