Yves Newman, age 17, of Laval Ouest, P.Q., for the question:

Does an octopus really squirt ink?

Yes indeed the octopus carries a bag full of ink wherever he goes. This is also true of his cousin, the squid. These ocean dwellers range in size from little fellows a few inches wide to monsters with a 50‑foot arm spread. They are soft bodied creatures, with no shells to protect them. The body and head form a soft lump from which grow the tentacles.

True, the tentacles are equipped with suckers. They can grasp the smaller victims which the octopus intends to eat. But the poor fellow has no armor to protect his soft body from his toothy enemies. His best defense is camouflage.

He carries a sac full of ink to squirt into the water when trouble threatens. This beclouds the water and confuses his enemies. Meantime the octopus escapes back to his den. He knows just where to go for he spends much of his time hiding in a cave or crevice among the underwater rocks. When the inky water clears the baffled enemy has gone on his way.