274 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [64] 



fortunately. The dimensions given are as follows : Length from tip of 

 tail to root of arms, 10 feet 5 inches ; circumference, 6 feet ; length of 

 arms, 5 feet G inches. " The beast had eight tentacles, as thick as a 

 man's leg at the root ; horrid suckers on the inside of -them, from tbe 

 size of an ounce bullet to that of a pea at the tip ; two horrid gogglo 

 eyes ; and a powerful beak between the roots of the arms. His head ap- 

 peared to slip in and out of a sheath. Altogether he was a most repul- 

 sive looking brute." 



It is probable that this specimen had lost its two tentacular arms be- 

 fore death, and that it was actually of the same species as the other 

 specimens recorded by Mr. Kirk. Mr. Kirk, however, seems to think 

 that the above description refers to an Octopod. 



No. 2. " The beak of number 2 was deposited in the Colonial Museum 

 by Mr. A. Hamilton. The animal was captured at Cape Campbell by 

 Mr. C. H. Eobson, a member of this society, who very kindly furnished 

 me with the following information. Writing on the 19th June, 1879, he 

 says: 



" ' In reply to yours of the 12th about the cuttle-fish, I may state that 

 while stationed at Cape Campbell I found several specimens of large 

 size, all, however, more or less mutilated, except one, the beak of which 



I gave to Mr. Hamilton. It was alive and quite perfect, the body being 

 7 feet long, eight sessile arms 8 feet long, and two tentacular arms 12 

 feet. I am, however, only writing from memory. Mr. Hamilton has 

 the exact measurements, and I remember distinctly that the total length 

 was close on 20 feet.' 



" I am sorry to say that Mr. Hamilton has mislaid the notes and meas- 

 urements, but those given above cannot be far out." 



No. 3. The third specimen was examined and measured by Mr. Kirk, 

 personally, where it lay on the beach. He also made a drawing of it, but 

 it has not yet been published to my knowledge. It was found on the 

 beach at Lyall Bay, May 23, 1879, by three boys. Mr. Kirk states that 

 it had been somewhat mutilated by the natives before he saw it, and the 

 pen or bone had been cut across ; but he preserved all the pieces of the 

 pen, the beak, tongue, and some of the suckers. Most of the suckers 

 had been torn off. 



" The length of body from tip of tail to anterior margin of the mantle 

 was 9 feet 2 inches, and 7 feet 3 inches in circumference; the head from 

 anterior margin of mantle to roots of arms, 1 foot 11 inches; making the 

 total length of the body 11 feet 1 inch. The head measured 4 feet in 

 circumference. The sessile arms measured 4 feet 3 inches in length, and 



II inches in circumference. Each of these arms bore thirty-six suckers, 

 arranged in two equal rows (as shown by the scars), and measuring from 

 £f to £ of an inch in diameter. Every sucker was strengthened by a 

 bony ring armed with from forty to sixty sharp incurved teeth. The 

 tentacular arms had been torn off at the length of G feet 2 inches, which 

 was probably less than half their original length. 



