138 Transactions. 



Polypus sp. (young). 



A young Polypus in the collection (S.S.B. 406) has an elongate cylin- 

 drical pointed body, a large head with very large prominent eyes, a short 

 umbrella much better developed ventraily than dorsally, and fairly short 

 subequal arms, the dorsal pair being a little the shortest. The colour is 

 brown, coarsely mottled above with dark grey. The chromatophores are 

 numerous and minute, except a number of larger ones scattered with some 

 regularity over the lower surface of the mantle and a double series of dis- 

 tant chromatophores along the outer aspect of each of the four ventral 

 arms. There are no cirri, but the dorsum is covered with numerous low 

 indistinct papulations which soon become obsolete ventraily. 



Though impossible of certain statement, it seems not unlikely that this 

 specimen represents a young stage of P. oliveri. 



Polypus (Pinnoctopus ?) kermadecensis n. sp. Plates VII and VIII. 



Body narrow and elongate for a Polypus, the width contained about 

 twice in the length ; compressed dorso-ventrally ; entire lateral periphery 

 bordered by a thin but conspicuous fold of skin which commences close 

 to or at the mantle-margin just above the funnel, thence gradually widens 

 posteriorly till it reaches a maximum width of nearly a centimetre (half 

 the width of the body) just before rounding the posterior extremity of 

 the body. Except for an abrupt notch-like indentation in the middle 

 behind, the margin of this membrane is entire all round. Mantle-opening 

 ample. 



Head small, long and narrow, being mainly composed of the large pro- 

 minent protruding eyes ; a decided constriction separates it from the 

 body. The eyes are very posterior in position, the anterior portion of the 

 head having the appearance of a stout stalk connecting them with the 

 region of the arms. Funnel long and thin-walled, the anterior portion 

 free for a little more than a third of its length ; apex not quite reaching 

 past the eyes. Funnel organ in the present material not sufficiently well 

 preserved for description. 



Arms exceedingly long, slender, and attenuate ; very unequal, their 

 order of relative length 1, 2, 3 = 4. The dorsal arms, which are not only 

 much longer but in every way more robust than those of the remaining 

 pairs, are ful y four times as long as the body. Suckers for the most part 

 small, argest just proximad from the middle of each arm, a region where 

 they attain a conspicuous maximum in the case of the dprsal pair ; ele- 

 vated, and everywhere in 2 rather compressed but little crowded rows, save 

 the 4 at the extreme base of each arm which appear in single file. The 

 8 basalmost suckers (one on each arm) form a circlet about the mouth ; 

 they are very minute. Umbrella thin, transparent ; best developed 

 dorsally, where it extends between the arms of the dorsal pair for about 

 a sixth of their length ; ventraily it is scarcely more than half as long. 



Hectocotylus unknown. 



Surface everywhere nearly smooth. A few soft tubercles are to be 

 made out just back of and above the eyes, while other scarcely distinguish- 

 able papillae are scattered here and there over the dorsum. 



Colour a dull grey-brown, more or less mottled and streaked with slate. 

 No oculations or other definite colour-pattern . of any sort is to be made 

 out from the preserved material. 





