2 70 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



seem much better to have left them unpublished and the majority of the species con- 

 cerned are nearly or quite unrecognizable. The reason for this neglect is difficult to 

 comprehend. In diversity of structure and the high specialization by which they are 

 enabled to maintain themselves in harmony with the conditions of their environment, 

 the cephalopods are surely without a parallel among the Mollusca. One need only call 

 attention to the beauty of many of the species in life, their interesting habits, the powers 

 of color change, of luminosity, and of vision, not to mention the curious secondary 

 sexual organs and other minor contrivances, to reveal at a glance what an attractive 

 field hes open to the student. It is to be hoped that it will not much longer remain 

 practically untilled, as in the past, at least so far as American scholars have been 

 concerned. 



The advantages I have enjoyed while engaged in the preparation of this report have 

 on the whole been quite exceptional, and a considerable amount of material has been gone 

 over. This comprises some 600 specimens, which have been rendered available from 

 the following sources : 



I.. The cephalopods obtained by the United States Fisheries Steamer Albatross 

 during the Alaska salmon investigations of 1903. 



2. The specimens dredged by the Albatross off the California coast in 1904. 



3. The miscellaneous series in the zoological collections of Stanford University. 



4. The small collection possessed by the department of zoology of the University 

 of California, which has already been reported upon. (Berry 1911a). 



5. A small series of octopods sent through the kindness of Dr. William E. Ritter 

 from the Marine Biological Laboratory at La Jolla, near San Diego, California. 



6. The private collection of the writer. 



Access has also been had to the collections of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 

 and the Peabody Museum of Yale University. 



A small preliminary paper containing brief diagnoses of seven supposedly new 

 species has already been published (191 1). 



Note. — The work has been greatly facilitated throughout by the unfailing kindness of many friends and the writer greatly 

 regrets that space does not permit him to state his full indebtedness to each. There are some, however, to whom grateful 

 acknowledgment must be made. 



First and foremost, he is indebted to Dr. Walter Kenrick Fisher, of Stanford University, under the general supervision 

 of whom most of these studies have been carried on, and whose interest and unselfish aid hai,-e been indefatigable. 



The Albatross collections were first placed in the hands of Dr. Harold Heath, of Stanford University, and, among other 

 kindnesses, I am under great obUgation to him for permitting me to work them up in his stead. If uch encouragement has been 

 given by Dr. Charles Henry Gilbert, of Stanford University, in the searching out of interesting specimens and helpful advice. 



I am also indebted to Dr. William E. Hoyle, director of the Cardiff Museum, and to Prof. Addison E. Verrillfor the gift 

 of much valuable Uterature and other favors; to Mr. Samuel Henshaw and Dr. Edward Laurens Mark, of the Museum of Com- 

 parative Zoology, for kindly placing at my disposal the collections and other resources imder their charge; and for divers 

 kindnesses to many others. 



Lastly the writer must state his cbUgation to Mr. Henry Vamimi Poor, to Mr. John Howard Paine, and especially to Miss 

 Lora Woodhead, all of Stanford University, for the patient and careful service they have rendered him in the preparation of 

 the illustrations. 



