REPORT ON THE CEPHALOPODA. 79 



Atlantic, coasts of France, of the Antilles, and of Africa, Mediterranean (d'Orbigny) ; 

 Goree, Senegal (W. E. H.), Messina (Targioni-Tozzetti). 



A small specimen obtained at the above locality seems to be properly referable to 

 this species, although certainty is impossible in the ease of so immature a creature. 



T do not propose here to discuss the question how far this species is removed from 

 Octopus vulgaris, but it seems to me that they are rather further apart than would be 

 expressed by ranking them as varieties. 



Whether Octopus ruber, Eafinesque,-^ be identical with this is still more uncertain, 

 the definition of that author being as unsatisfactory as usual. Moreover, his species has 

 been regarded as identical with Octopus macropus, Risso, and having regard merely to 

 the colour, which is the character emphasised by Rafinesque's name, this would seem 

 likely ; it is to be noted, however, that the arms of Octopus macropus very greatly 

 exceed the length mentioned by Rafinesque (" environ le double du corps "). 



Octopus verrucosus, Hoyle (PI. IV.). 



1885. Octopus verrucosus, Hoyle, Diagnoses I., p. 222. 

 1885. „ „ Hoyle, Prelim. Rep. L, p. 96. 



Habitat — Inaccessible Island, Tristan da Cunha, October 16, 1873. Two speci- 

 mens, $ . 



TJie Body is rounded, but so distorted by compression that no further details can 

 be given. The mantle-opening extends fully halfway round the body, terminating a 

 little below and behind the eye. The siphon is long, evenly conical and pointed, and 

 extends nearly halfway to the umbrella-margin. 



The Head is short, not so broad as the body, and with eyes but slightly prominent. 



The Arms are unequal in length, the second pair being considerably the longest, 

 and almost six times as long as the body ; they are comparatively stout, and taper 

 gradually. The umbrella- extends about one-fifth up the longest arms. The suckers 

 are fairly close, deeply cupped and marked with radial grooves (fig. 2), between which 

 are numerous very minute papillae (fig. 3). About four suckers on each lateral arm, 

 opposite the umbrella-margin, are larger than the others ; ^ beyond these they gradually 

 diminish. The extremity of the hectocotylised arm resembles that of Octopus vidgaris, 

 but is very minute (about 2 mm. long in the larger specimen); it is acutely pointed, 

 and the median groove has three transverse ridges. 



TJie Surface of the back, dorsal surface of the head, and umbrella is covered with 

 irregular closely-set warts, which attain a maximum diameter of several millimetres in 



1 Precis decouv. somiol., p. 28. 



- TMs is a sexual character, as is clearly shown by the analogy of numerous other species. 



