A. E. Verrill — ^folJusca of the Npao England Coast. 145 



The principal character in which this genus difibrs from Eledone is 

 tlie peculiar mode of hectocotylization of the third arm in the male. 

 Eledone agrees essentially with Octopus in this respect. 



Eledonella pygmaea A^erriu, sp. nov. 



Plate XXXII, figure 2. 



Body smooth, oblong-ovate, somewhat depressed, bluntly rounded 

 at the posterior end, narrowed a little anteriorly, back of the eyes. 

 Head rather small, equal in width to the anterior part of the body. 

 Mantle-edge thin, extending far forward, its lateral edge reaching as 

 far as the pupil of the eye, and united to the dorsal integument of 

 the head on a level with the upper surface of the eye. Eyes of mod- 

 erate size, convex, but not very prominent. Arms rather short, 

 except the third pair, wliich is much larger than the others ; the dor- 

 sal pair is considerably smaller and shorter than the others ; the 

 second pair is a little longer and united to the first by a small inter- 

 brachial membrane, occupying about its basal third ; the third arm 

 on the left side, is about twice as long as the dorsal ones and much 

 stouter, tapering to a slender, acute tip, and united to the second by 

 the short iuterbrachial membrane, but with only a rudimentary mem- 

 brane between it and the ventral arm ; the ventral arms are much 

 smaller and shorter, about equal in length to the second pair, and 

 have no iuterbrachial web between them. The hectocotylized arm 

 (fig. 2) is somewhat stouter than its mate, but decidedly shorter, though 

 longer than any of the other arms ; beyond its middle it bears four 

 large urn-shaped suckers, quite different in size and form from those 

 on the basal half; the first of these special suckers is decidedly the 

 largest, the others decrease in size to the terminal one, Avhich is quite 

 small. These specialized suckers have a bi'oad, swollen, and nearly 

 round basal portion, in breadth exceeding the width of the arm, 

 while toward the summit there is a distinct constriction, and the cup 

 itself expands somewhat, but is decidedly narrower than the basal 

 portion of the sucker ; the border of the aperture is somewhat con- 

 tracted and four-lobed. The basal suckers on this arm and all of 

 those on the other arms are arranged in a single row. They are of 

 moderate size, rather elevated, Avith the basal portion sessile and a 

 little expanded. The number on each arm is from ten to twelve, 

 besides a few minute ones at the tip; on the basal half of the hecto- 

 cotylized arm there are four simple ones. Color, a pale bluish white, 

 spotted with rather large purple-brown chromatophores, which are 

 equally numerous above and below, and arranged somewhat in rows 

 on the outer surfaces of the arms. 



