File:Ocean wonders- a companion for the seaside (1879) (14743326156).jpg

Identifier: oceanwonderscomp00damo (find matches)
Title: Ocean wonders: a companion for the seaside
Year: 1879 (1870s)
Authors: Damon, William Emerson, 1838-
Subjects: Marine animals Aquariums
Publisher: New York, D. Appleton and company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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inform, a chameleon in coloration. Seized by this animal, he adds, you enter into the beast;the hydra incorporates itself with the man; the man is amal-gamated with the hydra. You become one. The tiger canonly devour you ; the devil-fish inhales you. He draws youto him, into him ; and, bound and helpless, you feel yourselfslowly emptied into this frightful sac, which is a monster. Tobe eaten alive is more than terrible ; but to be drunk alive isinexpressible ! This overwrought but wonderfully dramatic description(but a small part of which we have quoted) at once exciteda popular interest in the habits and history of the octopus,though it was well known and described by Aristotle beforethe Christian era. Moreover, the animal so graphically pict-ured by the novelist was a mere baby devil in comparisonwith many which exist, and which have been described bythat enthusiastic naturalist, Prof. Verrill, of Yale College. In a letter addressed to me on this subject by Prof. Spen- Q$ THE OCEAN.
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The Giant Sqttid. cer F. Baird, under date of April 1, 1878, this distinguishednaturalist says: The giant squid in the New York Aquarium can only bedesignated as an infant or dwarf in comparison with the gigan- THE OCTOPUS AND ITS CONGENERS. 69 tic species of the Pacific Ocean—those upon which the sperm-whale is known to feed. Chunks of squid-remains are not in-frequently found in the throat or stomach of the sperm-whale,apparently indicating specimens from ten to fifty times the sizeof the Newfoundland variety. I was informed that a consider-ably larger specimen than that at New York was cast ashore atNewfoundland later in the season. The arms of the latter, ifI recollect right, were some ten feet longer than those of theother. The specimen referred to by Prof. Baird as at the publicaquarium in New York, is of the species known as Architeu-this princeps. It measures about forty feet, and is preservedin alcohol. I have in a bottle some specimen portions ofthe sucking-disks, showing

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