CEPHALOPODS OF WESTERN NORTH AMERICA. 



283 



Distribution: China, Hongkong (Hoyle). Japan, off Ino Sima Island (Hoyle), Aburatsubo (Wiilker). 

 Kamschatka, AvatchaBay(Dall). Alaska— .Shumagin Islands ; Humboldt Bay, Popoff Island; Karluk, 

 Kodiak Island; Uyak Bay; Sitka (Dall). British Columbia, Victoria ^Taylor). Washington, near Port 

 Tou-nsend. California— Crescent City; Point Reyes; San Francisco (Gabb); San Francisco Lightship; 

 Oakland; Half Moon Bay; Monterey Bay at Monterey and Pacific Grove; Avalon and Isthmus Cove, 

 Santa Catalina Island; off San Nicolas Island; San Pedro (Williamson); La JoUa (Baily); San Diego. 

 Lower California, off Los Coronados Islands; Scammons Lagoon (Gabb). 



Sixty -three specimens have been seen from various localities as set forth in the following table: 



Specimens of Polypus hongkongensis. 



The most abundant West Americsm littoral devilfish has had a checkered history. Insufficiently 

 described by Gabb imder a preoccupied name from specimens not as well preserved as they might have 

 been, it h;is remained tmrecognizably figured for years (with the exception of the Japanese specimen in 

 the Challenger Report) and local writers have suffered few qualms in using the name as a general term to 

 cover all the species of Polyptis on the coast. The first reasonably complete accoimt of its characters 

 is that given by Verrill (1883) and is scarcely to be improved upon except as regards his treatment of the 

 surface papillation, which in his specimens was either ill preserved or else not typical. Hence in the 

 Challenger Rejiort (1886) Hoyle found it easy to regard the Octopus hongkongensis, described by him the 

 previous year, as identical. In this respect I have had more difficulty, although on the whole I have 



