fish, beside which the
Octopus is a tiny mite.

These Giant Cuttles have ten arms, two of them being very long. The
Octopus's body is round, like that of a fat spider, while the Cuttle has
a long body. The Cuttle has many sharp claws on its arms, besides
numbers of big, strong suckers. It holds and tears its prey at the same
time. Its staring eyes are like big black lanterns on each side of the
head. The head twists this way and that, so that nothing escapes the
glare of those horrible eyes.

Lurking in the dark depths of the sea, these Giant Cuttles wait for
large fish, Crabs, or even their own relations, to come near. Like
hideous, gigantic Spiders, they are the terror of the ocean caverns.
They are so large that they have few enemies to fear. Indeed, it is
surprising that any animal dares to attack such a monster, but that
other giant, the Sperm Whale, dives deep to the home of the Cuttles,
purposely to attack and eat them.

The Sperm Whale _must_ attack these big creatures in order to get enough
food. He has such a huge, barn-like body to fill, that only these big
Cuttles will satisfy him. Whale-hunters sometimes catch a glimpse of
terrific combats between these giants of the deep. The Sperm wins the
battle, for he is nearly always found to contain great pieces of the
ogre's arms.

Although the Octopus and the Cuttle are related to the Snail and Whelk,
they have no shell. Their bodies are naked. Neither do they grow a
backbone, or skeleton; but, inside the body, the Cuttle has a plate of
chalk, which you may find on the shore. Some kinds have a long strip of
transparent substance, like a large feather. Fishermen use the smaller
kinds of Cuttle as bait. You will find it quite easy to cut out the
"beaks" and "bone" for yourself, or the fishermen will not mind saving
them for you.

EXERCISES

1. What is the meaning of the words "mollusc" and "octopus"? 2. How does
the Octopus capture its prey? 3. How does the Octopus escape its
enemies? 4. What creatures prey on the Cuttle and Octopus?

LESSON VI

THE WHALE

Now and again Whales are washed up on our coasts, and then we can see
how huge is this strange monster of the deep. It is by far the largest
of all living animals. Once on the land it is quite helpless; it cannot
regain its home in the waters, and slowly dies. It is shaped like a
fish, and its home is in the sea, so no wonder it has often been called
a fish.

If by chance the Whale is held unde