EEPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. [ 184 ] 
which are mostly separated by spaces less than half their diameter; 
margins of suckers soft and much thickened. The three lower pairs of 
arms are very nearly equal in length and size 5 the dorsal ones are a 
little shorter and smaller. A thin web unites all the arms for about one- 
fourth of their length, and runs up along their sides for about half their 
length. The male has the third right arm (Plate XLIY, fig. 3,3a) hecto- 
cotylized at the tip ; the modified tip is preceded by 45 suckers, and is 
bordered ventrally by a broad membrane, having a white groove along 
its inner surface; the terminal organ (fig. 3a) consists of a small, ovate- 
triangular, fleshy disk, with its inner surface slightly concave and finely 
wrinkled transversely, and terminating proximally in a small point. 
Color dark purplish brown, darker purple beneath. Chromatophores 
small and densely crowded. 
The female is considerably larger than the male, and has the warts 
over the back and around the eyes relatively smaller, but of the same 
character. The arms appear to be larger than those of the male, but 
this is probably due to the fact that the male has become more con¬ 
tracted by the stronger alcohol in which it was placed. 
This female specimen illustrates well the uselessness of the attempts 
to divide the species of Octopus and allied genera into groups or sections 
according to the relative lengths of the arms, as J. E. Gray and others 
have done, for in this and many other cases the proportions of the arms 
of the right side would throw it into one section; those of the left side 
into another. The male would have to be put into a third section. 
The two known examples of this species were both taken by Mr. A. 
Agassiz, while dredging on the United States Coast Survey steamer 
“Blake,” in 1880. 
Measurements in millimeters. 
No. 13. Female. 
No. 12. 
Male. 
Right side. 
Left side. 
Total length. 
End of body to center of eye. 
Breadth of body. 
Breadth across eyes. 
Length of dorsal arms, from mouth 
Length of second pair of arms. 
Length of third pair of arms. 
Length of hectocotylized arm. 
Length of modified tip. 
Length of ventral arms. 
Greatest breadth of lateral arms 
Diameter of largest suckers. 
202 
58 
55 
49 
135 
155 
130 
4.5 
145 
12 
3 
360 
100 
65 
255 
260 
260 
235 
225 
240 
210 
225 
18 
18 
5 
5 
Specimens examined. 
No. 
Stat. 
Locality. 
Fath. 
When 
Specimens. 
received. 
No. 
Sex. 
12 
305 
N. lat. 41° 
33' 15"; W. long. 65° 51' 25". 
810 
1880 
1 
1 
13 
312 
N. lat. 39° 
50' 45";' W. long. 70° 11'. 
466 
1880 
Q 
