OCTOPUS. 123 



Total length, 600 mill. ; length of body, 40 mill. ; length of 

 arms 1, 530 mill.; 2, 460 mill.; 3, 420 mill.; 4, 370 mill. 



Canaries ; Mediterranean ; Red Sea ; Indian and Pacific Oceans. 



This species well illustrates the uncertainty of distinctive 

 characters in the Cephalopoda, for Yerany thus describes its 

 superficial appearance : t4 Body oval, with the extremity a 

 little acuminated during life, rounded after death ; tuberculate 

 or verrucose when irritated, granulose when quiet, smooth when 

 languid." With these changes of surface the color also changes. 

 It appears in the markets of Genoa when the dredge fishery 

 begins, being only taken by this means. It does not appear to 

 be social, as individuals are only captured singly. Its meat is 

 less highly estimated than that of the 0. vulgaris. The largest 

 specimens attain about 3'5 feet in length. At Nice it is called 

 " Poupressa," at Genoa " Scorria," in Sardinia " Purpu arra- 

 bicu," and in Sicily " Fraiddu russu." 



Arms 1, 3, 4, 2: 

 O. MEDORTA, Gray. 



Body, head and arms minutely granular, with scattered rather 

 larger rounded tubercules ; body oblong, rather acute behind ; 

 eyes large, ocular tentacles none ; arms elongate, slender ; cups 

 rather small, regular, equal, of the dorsal pair rather largest ; 

 web moderate, scarcely wider beneath, smooth above. 



A single specimen (in alcohol) in Brit. Mus. Very likely = 



0. Cuvieri. 



Habitat unknown. 



3. The seventh to the twentieth cups of the lateral arms much longer than 

 the rest. 



Arms sub-equal. 



O. FONTANIANUS, Orb. PI. 37, fig. 54. 



Body large, slightly warty ; head narrow, nearly smooth, with 

 one posterior ocular beard ; arms moderate, angular, sub-equal ; 

 cups close together, the second to tenth of 2d and 3d pairs of 

 arms much largest. Web very broad. Violet colored. 



Total length, 230 mill. ; length of body, 37 mill. ; of arms, 

 165 mill. 



