382 Mr. A. L. Massy on Cephalopods 



Family Cranchiidse. 



Genus Helicocranchia, gen. nov. 



Body elongated, chalice-shaped, tapering gradually to a 

 rounded point. Mantle-substance tough, smooth, pale, with 

 many small chromatophores. Fins considerable, oval, pedun- 

 culate, attached to end of dorsal surface of body. Eyes 

 sessile, large, in the form of a low cone. Arms rather long, 

 with keel and lateral membrane moderately developed. 

 Tentacles long and expanded into a club. Siphon extremely 

 large. 



Helicocranchia Pfefferi, sp. n. 



Body broadest in the middle, tapering gradually, and 

 rounded posteriorly. Breadth of body rather less than half 

 the length of mantle. Surface smooth ; colour creamy white ; 

 dorsal surface closely freckled with dull red oblong chromato- 

 phores arranged irregularly ; ventral surface and sides with 

 eight transverse rows of chromatophores, as well as a number 

 of spots arranged in no particular order. Fins narrowly 

 pedunculate, broadly pyriform in outline, somewhat fleshy, 

 rather more than one fifth the length of the mantle, attached 

 to dorsal surface close to (in type at 1 mm. from) posterior 

 end of body. Mantle-margin depressed in middle line 

 dorsally and there joined to siphon. Eyes sessile, large ; 

 their visual parts in the form of a low cone, of which the 

 posterior face is occupied by a large bluntly conical process. 

 Towards the posterior end of each eye is an oblong, soft, 

 white papilla, possibly the olfactory papilla. Buccal mem- 

 brane mutilated in the type, but apparently seven-angled. 

 Siphon extremely large, extending about two thirds of the 

 length of the ventral arms. The arms are about one third 

 as long as the mantle. They are unequal, the apparent order 

 of length being 3, 2, 1, 4 *, slender and tapering, with 

 transparent keel moderately developed on distal two thirds 

 of all, but least developed on dorsal arms. Lateral mem- 

 brane moderate, extending entire length of arms. Margin 

 usually straight. The arms appear to be quite free. Tlie 

 suckers are stalked and arranged in two rows until the distal 

 third of arm is reached, when they suddenly become very 

 minute, crowded, and arranged irregularly. These minute 

 suckers are stalked and have a circular aperture ; towards 

 the extreme tip they appear to be imperfectly formed. The 

 large suckers have a circular horny ring and about four rows 



* Tips of ventral arms absent. 



