28: 



BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



point, the margins of its inner svirface elevated to form two low parallel ridges inclosing a narrow, 

 sharply marked groove; inner surface of groove usually showing a numerous series of small though dis- 

 tinct transverse ^vriIlkIes or furrows. I did not discover the longitudinal rows of granules described by 

 Verrill, but suspect this to be a more or less variable feattire. 

 Beak black; strong and powerful. 



Surface in the best preserved specimens covered everywhere above by numerous papilliform tuber- 

 cles with stellate bases, and many heavy, much interrupted, longitudinal wrinkles (pi. xxxv, fig. 3); 

 above each eye a rather small conical cirrus with sometimes a smaller one in front of it, 

 ^ *-/ t» and always a very large pinnacle-like protuberance in a more or less erect condition 

 just behind it. In addition there is usually a series of bilaterally arranged cirri very 

 similar in every way to those of P. bimaculaius, those appearing with the greatest 

 frequency being one on the base of each dorsal arm , one on the median line where the 

 umbrella joins the head, one at the posterior point of the body, and four on the anterior 

 part of the body inclosing a diamond-shaped space between them. A number of other 

 cirri appear in some specimens with great regularity, but those above enumerated 

 seem to exhibit the most constancy (see text fig. 2). However, the entire con- 

 dition is extremely variable. In some specimens all or part of the cirri are reduced 

 to mere callouses, while in many examples the skin is almost perfectly smooth 

 and all stu'face ornamentation except the large supra-ocular cirri seems entirely 

 wanting. 



Color in preserved specimens, as in life, very variable. Ordinarily a dark brown- 

 ish or piuplish black above, heavily blotched and maculated; below and on the 

 inner surfaces of the arms and web the tone is paler and yellower. Chromatophores 

 excessively numerous, very minute and dot-like. 



The yoimg usually possess essentially similar characters, often showing the arrange- 

 ment of the cirri with great clearness. They are generally of a lighter and more 

 variegated color, their chromatophores relatively fewer and larger, and are adorned by two rows of 

 especially large, longitudinally elongated chromatophores running along the lower surfaces of the four 

 ventral arms. (PI. XL, fig. i.) 



The measurements of 12 specimens from various localities are given in the annexed table. 



Measurements of Polypus hongkongensis. 



Fig. 2. — Polypus 

 hongkongensis. 

 outline sketch of 

 a young animal, 

 showing a nearly 

 typical arrange- 

 njeat of the cirri. 

 [76.1 



Type, a male in the British Museum (Natural History). 



Type locality, 345 fathoms, off Ino Sima Island, Japan (H. M. S. Challenger) 



one specimen. 



