NEMATOLAMPAS, A REMARKABLE NEW CEPHALO- 

 POD FROM THE SOUTH PACIFIC. 



S. STILLMAN BERRY, 

 REDLANDS, CALIFORNIA. 



In a collection of Cephalopoda from Sunday Island, one of 

 the Kermadec Group, which has been recently placed in my 

 hands for investigation, is a new oegopsid possessing features of 

 such general interest that the sender of the specimens, Mr. W. R. 

 Oliver of Auckland, has kindly permitted me to offer the follow- 

 ing brief preliminary account of the species in an American publi- 

 cation pending the appearance of a full report on the collection 

 in the Transactions of the New Zealand Institute. 



Nematolampas regalis new genus and species. 



The body is small, cylindro-conical in outline, and terminates 

 in a not very sharp point posteriorly. The fins are very large 

 in proportion to the body, their combined width being as great 

 as the length of the latter, although they are not quite half so 

 long. They are practically continuous with one another above, 

 at least posteriorly, and their union with the mantle is very 

 insecure in alcoholic material. On each side of the extreme 

 posterior tip of the body and lodged in the angle between the 

 fin and mantle is a small swelling containing a conspicuous 

 heavily pigmented body of spherical outline which from its 

 general appearance has undoubtedly a photogenic function. 

 This entire mass with its contained organ is not very firmly 

 attached and becomes readily dislodged when the fins have been 

 loosened. 



The head is relatively large, short, and rounded. The eyes 

 are very large. Bordering the ventral periphery of each eyeball 

 is a longitudinal series of five beadlike photophores of a reddish 

 color. Of these the central one is considerably the largest and 

 so conspicuous that it is readily visible through the outer integu- 

 ment. Both it and the smaller organs just adjacent to it are 



20H 



