The Octopus breathes by means of gills.  Water enters through a big hole under the head, passes over the gills, and out again through a funnel, or siphon.  Now the Octopus can make good use of this siphon.  Sometimes he is attacked, and wishes to “make himself scarce.”  So he sends the water rapidly through the siphon; the force is enough to jerk him quickly backwards, his “arms” trailing behind.

The Octopus and his relations have another dodge as well.  They possess a bag of inky fluid.  By mixing this ink with the spurt of water from the funnel, the Octopus leaves a thick cloud behind him.  The enemy is lost in this dark cloud, while the Octopus darts safely away.

[Illustration:  THE OCTOPUS—­A MONSTER OF THE DEEP]

Having no armour to protect him, and no shelly home like that of the snail, the Octopus is an easy prey to large fish, Seals and Whales.  So this trick of shooting backwards, hidden in a cloud of ink, must be of great use.  Soldiers and sailors use clouds of smoke to baffle their enemy in battle.  The Octopus uses clouds of ink.

Sharks, Conger Eels, and Whales are able to fight the Octopus and eat his soft body; but small fish and Crabs keep away from the ogre if they can.  This is not easy, for he hides away under rocks, watching with his great eyes for passing prey.  If anything comes near enough, out flicks a long, tapering, snaky arm, and holds the victim tight.

Down the inside of each arm are nearly three hundred round suckers.  Each one acts like those leather suckers with which boys sometimes play.  Once fixed, it is nearly impossible to unloose them, without chopping or tearing the arm to pieces.  First one and then another sucker takes hold, and the wretched victim is drawn up to the ogre’s beak, with no chance of escape.

When one sees the grasping power of even a small Octopus, it is easy to believe that a large one would be a dangerous enemy.  The strongest swimmer would stand no chance:  those clinging arms could hold two or three men under water.

[Illustration:  WHALING.]

Luckily, the Octopus has no wish to attack people.  It is not fierce.  But to the Crabs it must seem an awful ogre.  I once watched an Octopus on the lookout for food.  It had its lair between two rocks, its twining arms showing outside, its eyes and body in the shadow.  Along came a Crab, scuttling near the rocks.  He spied the ogre, at once stopping and raising his claws as Crabs do, like a boxer ready to fight.  The Crab having strong pincers, and a good suit of armour, I expected to see him fight for life.  But no!  Like poor Bunny chased by the dreaded Stoat, the Crab gave in as soon as the ogre flicked him with an arm.  The suckers gripped him fast and, still holding up his claws, he was drawn into the den of his dreadful enemy.

Although armed with a beak, the Octopus seems not to use it against the Crab.  He prefers to pull the poor Crab to pieces with his strong arms, and then to pick up the crab-meat with the hooked beak.  When full-fed, he retires to his den; he sometimes pulls shells and stones over the entrance, and rests within until hungry.