302 University of California Puhlications in Zoology. [Vol. 8 



the greater part of the specimens are clearly immature. It is 

 apparently very abundant on the coast of Southern California, 

 replacing P. hongkongensis {Octopus punctatus Gabb [1862], 

 not of Blainville [1826]) of the northern coast as the common 

 devilfish of the region. The latter species also occurs on the 

 southern coast though not in such numbers as farther north. 

 P. himaculatus is readily recognized by the exceeding smallness 

 of that portion of the third right arm in the male which under- 

 goes hectocotylization, and more prominently by the large pig- 

 mented spot on the base of the second arm just in front of and 

 below the eye on each side. An interesting feature revealed by 

 the present material is that these spots are not unicolored 

 throughout, as has been stated, but show a narrow, well-defined, 

 bluish ring enclosing a blackish center and surrounded by a wider 

 outer border of similar hue. 



The following specimens were examined : 



Polypus hongkongensis Hoyle 



Octoims punctatus Gabb (1862), p. 170 [not 0. punctatus Blainville 



(1826), p. 195, teste d'Orbigny (1845), p. 224.] 

 Octopus honglcongensis Hoyle (1885), p. 224. 

 Octoptis punctatus Hoyle (1886), pp. 11, 100, pi. 5. 



This Polypus, if Hoyle correctly identified his specimens with 

 those described by Gabb, is the commonest species of the region, 

 ranging along the entire coast from Lower California to Alaska 

 and thence around the Aleutians to Kamchatka, Japan, and 

 China. It is the Octopus punctatus of Gabb and authors gen- 

 erally, but as Gabb's name is unfortunately preoccupied, we can 



