286 BULI.ETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



■with it. In its red color, as well as its minutely and evenly vvarted surface without large cirri except over 

 the eyes, it agrees with the description and figure of P. hongkongensis in the Challenger Report, but differs 

 in the longer ventral arms and much more prominent hectocotylization. It may be that the old view 

 is right and all these protean forms are referable to P. hongkongeiuis, but among all the Polypi from Alaska 

 to San Diego which I have examined I have seen no specimens save the two noted above having fea- 

 toires approximating any of the characters which I have taken to be distinctive of P. gilberiianus. For 

 the present at least it seems that the greatest good will be accomplished by keeping them distinct. 



It is a pleasure to be able to affix to this fine species the name of Dr. C. H. Gilbert, of Stanford Uni- 

 versity, as a slight recognition of the friendly aid he has so often lent to the writer. 



Polypus califomicus Berry, 1911. (PI. xxxv, fig. 6-7; pi. xxxvm; pi. xxxix, fig. 1-2; pi. xl, fig. 2-3.) 



Polypus califomicus Berry, 1911, p. 590. 



Animal of moderate size; its body short, rounded, full, plump, truncate behind, slightly broader 

 than long, its general consistency in specimens preserved in alcohol very firm and compact. Surface 

 densely covered with numerous large stellate papillse of a very characteristic form and appearance, the 

 skin between them smooth; these are often so thickly palisaded together on the dorsal surface of the body 

 in the adult that the spaces between them are reduced to mere crevices (pi. xxxv, fig. 7); on the head 

 fewer and more distant (pi xxxv, fig. 6), becoming again more numerous though smaller on the base of the 

 arms; fiuther out on the arms as well as over the entire ventral surface the papillae are much smaller 



and often nearly obsolete, the transition taking place ver>' sud- 

 denly Ln the lateral region. 



Head short and broad, but narrower than the body, from 



which it is separated by a slight but definite constriction. Eyes 



of moderate size, each surmounted by a rather indistinct (due to 



flattening?) branched cirrus somewhat larger than the neighboring 



papillae. Funnel rather long, conical, broadly adherent to the 



under surface of the head for the greater part of its length, the 



free extremity extending just past the origin of the arms. Funnel 



organ large and conspicuous, comprising two thickened, rather 



F1G.3.— Po/j'/'uica/i/brBKUi.outlinesketch narrowly separated, V-shaped cushions, the irmer arm of each 



of the interior of the funnel viewed from larger and longer than the outer. Mantle opening broad, full, its 



below, showing the tunnel organ, X 2.1 margin rounded and thickened. 



Arms stout, but only of moderate length, being usually from 

 two and one-half to three times as long as the body and head; relative length very variable, the two 

 sides rarely possessing the same formula, and an identical relative order persisting in hardly any two 

 specimens examined except that the third right arm in the male is constantly less attenuate than the 

 others and about a third shorter. Umbrella well developed, extending between the arms for about one- 

 fourth of their length, and thence continuing along each arm to its ex-tremity as a highly contractile 

 fleshy fold or web; umbrella proper nearly even all arovmd, but slightly shortest between the arms of 

 the dorsal and ventral pairs. 



Suckers rather large, in two apparent rows except two or three at the base which are in a single 

 row. In the male some half dozen of the suckers near the jxmction of the umbrella with the arm are 

 notably the largest, very large, flattened and disk-like (pi. xxxix, fig. 2). Hectocotylized portion of the 

 third right arm in the male relatively enormous, thickened and massive; in general plan much like the 

 figure given by Verrill for that of Octopus pitnctatus, but much more deeply, narrowly, and sharply 

 channeled, and with the transverse grooving more pronounced; basal papilla very blunt, short, and coni- 

 cal (pi. XXXIX, fig. 1). 



Beak and radula not examined. 



Color in alcohol a livid pinkish brown, lighter below; quite unlike that of any of the other species 

 here described. Chromatophores numerous, small, round, bro«iiish, and well distributed. 



The distinctive characters of the species are assumed very early in the development of the yoimg. 

 In juvenile animals the papills are a little more sparsely scattered, the eyes exceedingly prominent, 



