REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [ 166 ] 
thin, broadly rounded, in the living specimens nearly as long as the 
body; the posterior lobe reaches nearly to the end of the body; the 
anterior edge extends beyond the front of the mantle to the eye. The 
anterior edge of the mantle is prominent and emarginate beneath; later¬ 
ally it recedes to a great extent; above it is broadly attached to the 
head. Sessile arms short, with a wide basal web, extending beyond the 
middle; upper ones shortest; third pair longest; suckers in two rows, 
except at tip of ventral arms of largest male, where they form four 
rows. 
Tentacular arms slender, thickened at base, tapering, extending back 
as far as the end of the body; club scarcely as wide as the arm, with 
a free crest at its base, above, curled in preserved specimens; the suck¬ 
ers are numerous and very minute, arranged in many rows. 
Upper surface of the body is opalescent in some lights, thickly spotted 
with orange-brown, spots most numerous in the middle line and extend¬ 
ing to the upper surface of the head; some also occur on the outer sur¬ 
faces of the arms; anterior part of the head white; fins, arms and 
extremity of body translucent bluish white, with a thick, transparent, 
outer integument; upper surface of the eyes opalescent, with silvery 
blue and red tints; head, below the eyes, silvery white; above the eyes, 
blue. 
The largest specimen (<?), taken in 1879 (Plate XXXYI, fig. 1), when 
living had the head, above, in front of the eyes, whitish, with few 
chromatophores; back and the base of the fins thickly spotted with 
brown; posterior part of the back with an emerald-green iridescence. 
Sides of the body, below the fins, and posterior end of the body, silvery 
white. A large, shield-shaped, ventral area of brown, with a bright blue 
iridescence, and bordered with a band of brilliant blue, occupies most 
of the lower surface. Pins, transparent whitish, except at base. Lower 
side of head, siphon, and outer bases of the arms, light brown. Eyes 
blue above, green below. 
Length of the original type-specimen (9), to the base of the arms, 
14 mm , in alcohol; of mantle above, 8 mm ; breadth, 7 mm ; breadth across 
fins, 16 mm . The larger specimen, of 1879, is 31 mm (1.25 inch) long, from 
the end of the body to the bases of the arms; breadth of body, 25 mm (1 
inch); length of arms, 19 mm (.75 inch). The largest specimen is a male. 
The males (fig. 5) of this species, and some of the females, have a group 
of two or three decidedly and abruptly larger suckers on the middle of the 
second pair of arms (Plate XXXYI, fig. la.); other females, of equal size, 
have no such enlarged suckers; in the male, additional suckers along the 
middle portion of the lateral arms are also distinctly larger than on the 
other arms. The only evidence of true hectocotylization is the presence 
of larger and more crowded suckers at the base of both dorsal arms of 
the male. This species is an exceedingly beautiful one, when living, 
owing to the elegance and brilliancy of its colors and the gracefulness of 
its movements. In swimming it moves its fins in a manner analogous to 
