396 AN OCTOPUS INHABITING THE COAST OF NEW ENGLAND. 
coincidently with the ejection of the water from the siphon, and 
the arms after each contraction were all held pointing straight 
forward in a compact bundle, so as to afford the least resistance 
to the motion. As the motion resulting from each impulse began 
to diminish sensibly, the arms were again spread and the same 
action repeated. This action of the arms and web recalled that 
of the disk of the jelly fishes, only it was much more energetic. 
The siphon was bent in different directions to alter the direction 
of the motions, and by bending it to the right or left side, back- 
ward motions in oblique or circular directions were given, but it 
was often bent directly downward and curved backward so that the 
jet of water from it served to propel the animal directly forward. 4 
This, so far as observed, was its only mode of moving forward. 
This mode of swimming forward has previously been observed in 
cuttle-fishes (Sepia) and in squids (Loligo). This species was 
much more active and animated in the night than during the day, , 
and is probably nocturnal in its habits, when at home. None of a 
the specimens could be induced to take food, and none survived n 
more than four or five days, although the water was frequently 
renewed to keep it cool and pure. They were rather roughly 
handled by the dredge, without doubt. 
The following description is from the “ American Journal of 
Science,” for January, 1872 :— 
“ The body is short, thick, somewhat depressed, broadly rounded 
posteriorly, separated from the head only by a slight constriction 
at the sides. Head almost as broad as the bod , swollen above 
€ 
from the upper side of each eye is a much larger, rough, irreg- 
ularly conical, erectile tubercle, which has some sinall, more or less 
prominent, conical tubercles on its surface; the whole upper sur- 
face of the y, head, and arms is also covered with minute scat- 
- 
cording to its direction. Arms subequal, relatively short, stout, 
tapering to slender points, connected fo t one-third of their 
by a web, whiċh extends as a narrow membrane along thei 
have about sixty-five suckers ; those of the fourth pair about sixty. 
The right arm of the third pair has its terminal portion, for about 
