TRANSACTIONS OF WAGNER 
ON THE LIFE HISTORY OF AN ECONOMIC CUTTLEFISH OF JAPAN 
(oe) 
organs, is found also between other colder and warmer seas: in the latter, ma- 
ture males are caught abundantly all the year round, with the exception of 
spring and early summer, during which seasons mature males are less numerous 
than immature ones. 
SPECIMENS FROM HOKKAIDO 
Number of i Number of sper- 
Date of specimens Length of mantle Length of testis matophores in 
catch examined Needham’s sac 
June 25 6 84-102 mm. 18-20 mm. ° 
July 5 3 170-175“ 26-27“ ° 
July 15 3 I90-193 “ 26-28 “ ° 
Aug. 30 2 194-195 ‘‘ 27-28 < ° 
Oct. 3 5 200-205 “ S545 ems ° 
Nov. 1 5 210-220 “* 48-55 “ ° 
Dec. 14 2 215-230 ‘“ 85-90 ‘ 0-20 
Dec. 28 3 TO5a205) 82-95 “‘ 0-20 
SPECIMENS FROM OKI 
Sept. 7, 1918 7 210-230 mm. 95-120 mm. 98-142 
Octar2r 5 205-220) go-102 “ 67-212 
Decw2a es 5 210-240 “ Q5-112 “‘ 78-142 
Jan. 24, 1919 6 2207-232) ian 90-110 “‘ 76-183 
Reb arsaics 6 TOS 220M ie ORB 52-121 
May 12, ‘“ 5 196-214 “ 88-105 “‘ 48-115 
ulyaerosen 7 178-217.“ 7o-110 “ 0-165 
JeXib hess 3 8301 4 200-210 “ 96-102 ‘ 70-130 
JN, BY IO 195=233) 1s Ioo-IIo =“ 0-202 
Now we see that the principal pairing season continues in warmer waters, 
for instance, in Oki, from summer to winter, while in colder waters, as in Hok- 
kaid6, it is limited to the early part of winter. 
Another evidence in regard to the pairing season is concerned with the 
spermatophores sticking in the buccal membrane of the female. Grown 
females have a number of spermatophores adhering to the buccal membrane, 
as in the Loliginidae and Sepiidae. Their adhesion would not occur unless 
the mating took place beforehand; this fact can, therefore, be regarded as an 
undisputable announcement of the pairing season of the cuttlefish and goes 
far to justify my assumption that the spawning season in Hokkaidé is confined 
to December, and that in Oki it extends from summer to winter.* It is 
hardly necessary to add that at the season mentioned the male reproductive 
organs are ripe. 
* In Oki the season is continued into spring, as shown by catch of a small amount in this season. 
