" Octopus " icHh Branching Arms. 409 



The left lower lateral arm is normal for 20 inches from the 

 mouth, tlien bifurcates. 



The right lower lateral is regular for about 11 inches, then 

 bifurcates, the smaller branch again forking at a distance of 

 about 3 inches. 



The left ventral IS normal for 12 inches, tlien tri furcates, 

 one of tlie three branches being single to the end, tlie other 

 two, about 3 inches further up, again bifurcating, with two of 

 the small branches again bifurcating ; so that this arm has, 

 in fact, nine branches altogether. 



The ric/ht ventral is simple for about 15 inches, then 

 divides, one branch being single to the end, the other bifur- 

 cating 2 inches further up. 



Altogether, then, it is seen that this remarkable animal 

 exhibits thirty-three branches to the eight normal arms, 

 mostly towards their ends. They are, with the exception of 

 the two stumps on the right upper lateral arm, provided with 

 suckers alternating in two rows, those on some of the most 

 slender branches being, in their dried and shrivelled con- 

 <]ition, rather obscure. The largest suckers are on the lateral 

 arms and are about 13 mm. in diameter. 



Tlie skin of the back, head, and the back of the arms, 

 excepting the ventral pair, are of a dirty purplish colour, 

 closely spotted with a darker tint and quite smooth. The 

 web between the arms is also spotted, excepting the portion 

 between the ventral pair and between the ventrals and lower 

 laterals. The spotting does not extend far up the arms, 

 wliich exteriorly are of a dark dirty purplish colour. The 

 eyes are about 1| inches apart, with a small cirrus behind each 

 and a still smaller one in front of them. Behind each eye, 

 at a distance of about 15 mm., is a round pore-like circle 

 1^ mm. in diameter. The ventral side of the body is pale, 

 excepting towards the sides, where the darker colour of the 

 back commences. 



Dimensions. 



in. 



Length of body from posterior end to between the eyes. . 7| 

 Length of arms, from the mouth to tlie end of the longest 

 branch of each : — 



Dorsal pair 22| 



Right upper lateral 25 



Left „ „ 26 



Right lower „ 20 



Left „ „ 25 



„ ventral 18 



Bight „ 19 



Ann. & May. N. Hist. Ser. 7. Vol. xx. 27 



