358 Bulletin Vanderbilt Marine Mitseum, Vol. VII 



of the octopus, i. e., the two cited by Mr. Gould and one by Dr. S. S. 

 Berry (1914), of two males, taken on Honolulu Reef, Oahu, and 

 one male, purchased in Honolulu Market. The "Ara" specimen is 

 also from Oahu. 



Material examined : One large male, taken on the Island of 

 Oahu, Hawaii, December, 1928, by the "Ara" World Cruise. 



Colour : The present specimen retains, in considerable degree, 

 the characteristic colour pattern of the species, so beautifully por- 

 trayed by Mr. J. Drayton, artist, under the direction of Mr. J. P. 

 Couthouy, naturalist, of the United States Exploring Expedition. 

 Mr. Gould described the colour of the living animal as follows: 

 "The surface is coarsely reticulate-papillose, with a series of 

 oblong-oval, smooth and colourless patches along the back of the 

 arms and around the sac, somewhat resembling bullae. The ground 

 colour is deep orange; beneath somewhat clouded with white; 

 above variegated with five longitudinal, buff stripes, the median 

 one extending to between the eyes, the two lateral ones curving on 

 each side, like meridian lines and extending only to the neck; 

 between these lines, around the middle of the sac, are deep brown 

 patches, and also between the bases of the arms; there are also 

 brown mottlings along the back of the arms. These, with the pale, 

 bubble-like patches around the base of the sac, and along the arms, 

 give a very gay and diversified colouring." 



The "Ara" specimen, an adult male, has a total length of 675 

 millimeters. The body is of medium size, globose, more expanded 

 and rounded posteriorly, attaining the maximum width slightly 

 posterior to the middle. The mantle aperture is moderately wide, 

 extending about .55 of the total distance between the orbits. The 

 head is definitely narrower than the body, from which it is sepa- 

 rated by a distinct nuchal band. The funnel is long, conic, taper- 

 ing, and extends for about .65 of the distance from the mantle 

 aperture to the web margin, being attached for half its length, the 

 funnel aperture is small, the funnel organ is W-shaped, the median 

 process being twice as long as the lateral processes. The eyes are 

 prominent, of moderate size. There are three, blunt, supraorbital 

 cirrhi present above each eye. 



The arms decrease in length in the order 1, 2, 3, 4, the degrees 

 of difference being that shown in plate 151. The extreme length, 

 slenderness and degree of marked attenuation of the arms, is one 

 of the most striking characteristics of this species. The dorsal, or 



