1881.] THE SURVEY OF H. M.S. 'alert.' 23 



cular spots, of the same hue as those on the bod}'. The lower 

 surface of the fins and the funnel are of a plain buff. The abdomen 

 or body is in form like a short sack, narrowing and rounded at the 

 the end, about half as long again as broad. Its margin is produced 

 to an obtuse point over the back of the neck, which marks the 

 termination of the horny shell ; and on the underside there is a wide 

 sinuation beneath the siphon. 



The fins are moderately large, being to the length of the body 

 as 5 to 7 ; but tiie line of junction is somewhat less, for they extend 

 forward about a line and a half beyond the point of contact. In 

 form they are irregularly semicircular, and are placed rather far 

 apart, but yet not absolutely along the side. Their surface, both 

 above and beneath, exhibits fine striae which radiate from the body. 



The head is large, as broad as the body. The eyes are situated 

 at the sides of the head, and are protected by a thin transparent 

 membrane, and the lower margin is probably partly contractile over 

 the eye. 



The arms do not vary much in length ; but the dorsal and ventral 

 pairs are a trifle shorter than the two lateral pairs. They are 

 rather slender, and taper to a fine point, scarcely have any interbra- 

 chial connecting membrane at their base ; and between the ventral 

 pair there is a total absence of it. 



The suckers are large, subspherical, raised upon prominences, 

 connected by excessively short peduncles, and armed with very small 

 simple-edged horny rings. They are arranged in two alternating 

 rows, except upon that which is the right arm of the dorsal pair when 

 the lower or ventral surface is towards the eye, or the left one when 

 viewed from above ; upon this there are four series at the central 

 part, but fewer at the base and the extremity ; the suckers too are 

 much smaller than those upon the rest of the brachia, with the 

 exception of the other dorsal one, upon which they are also equally 

 small. 



The tentacular arms are slender, twice as long as the others, and 

 emerge between the ventral and next pair of arms, between which 

 there is a greater development of connecting membrane than is 

 found between the other brachia. They are provided at the ends 

 with numerous crowded cup-like acetabula, raised upon longer foot- 

 stalks than those connecting the suckers of the other arms. They 

 are flat-topped, with a raised outer rim and a sunken lid, and the 

 horny margin of the orifice is minutely dentate. Shell or gladius 

 very minute. 



The measurements are: — Length of body 21 millims., diam. 14 ; 

 length of fins 14 milhms., diam. 8; length of longest arm 17 

 millims. ; length of tentacular arm 3fi millims. ; length from the end 

 of the body to the base of the ventral pair of arms 2/ millims. ; the 

 same to the base of the dorsal pair 29 millims. ; diam. of one of the 

 largest spherical suckers 1^ miilim. ; diam. of one of the small ones 

 on the right dorsal arm f miilim. 



Hab. Stations 1 and 5. 



This is a very remarkable little creature, and at once recognized 



