Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 2 (1878).djvu/450

426 The event of my month at Prussia Cove, however, was the capture of an Octopus, O. vulgaris, in my trammel on August 24th. It was brought in alive and placed by my people in a "pill." It was about three feet and a half long over all, and about six pounds weight. I took it out and showed it to some friends, and whilst doing so two or three of its arms (with their 240 suckers each) were twined closely around my right hand and fore arm. I felt nothing more than a strong sucking action, and after about five minutes I put the creature into another and larger "pill," in which it swam about with a most graceful action until it found a hole under a large stone, into which it crept, arms foremost, and, turning round and using its suckers as hands, it lifted or handed out several large stones, one of nearly three pounds weight, and made a sort of nest for itself, and there rested until the coming tide enabled it to escape. This creature has no backbone (none at least perceptible to the touch), and I judge, and am told, that it has do sepia-bag. Under all the rough treatment which it received it never " squirted ink," although it constantly ejected water. Its respiratory tubes were very interesting. There were two on each side, and it could apparently work them at pleasure, but the expi- ration was always performed by those on one side and the inspi- ration by those on the other. This was whilst the animal was at rest. Whilst swimming I think all four tubes were at work, and that the force which propelled it, tail foremost through the water, was derived from the gentle injection and forcible (by muscular power) ejection of water through them. About two hours after I had handled this beast I felt a numbness in the little finger of my right hand, as if I had hit my funny-bone. This increased until in about twelve hours my arm was numbed to the shoulder. On the next day it was worse, and I could not use it at all. Since that time (now ten days ago) it has been gradually recovering, and I can now write. I have no pain, but only a sensation of numbness and want of power, my general health not being affected.

Since writing the above I have had brought to me from Prussia Cove a specimen of Pennant's Globe-fish, Tetraodon stellatus, found dead on the beach there after a gale of wind. It is remarkable that more than half of the few recorded instances of the occurrence of this fish have happened between the Lizard and Trevose Head.

I may also mention the Nipper Crab, Polybius Henslowii, as not uncommon at Prussia Cove, although I obtained none this year.