NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 483 



On report of the respective Committees, the following papers were 

 ordered to be published in the Proceedings : 



Description of a new species of CEPHALOPOD from the Coast of 



California. 



BY W. M. GABB. 



Ommastrephes Trtonii. Body large, subcylindrical for about two-thirds of 

 its length, posterior third tapering, acute at the extremity. Fins between one- 

 third and one-fourth the length of the body, nearly twice as broad as long, 

 rhoraboidal ; angles rounded. Anterior of the body truncated at a right angle 

 to the length and with a slight angle on the dorsal median line. Siphon short 

 broad, head small, not wider than the body, flattened above (and at the sides ?) 

 Eyes small. Sessile arms robust, short, compressed : comparative length 4, 2, 

 1, 3, the dorsal being the shortest, although they are all of nearly equal length. 

 The second and third pair are so compressed that the caps appear to be ar- 

 ranged in a single line. The lower half or two-thirds of the outer side of the 

 dorsal and the whole of the same portion of the other arms are fringed with a 

 narrow membrane. The inner side of the third pair is also fringed on each 

 side of the cupules. 



The cupules are all small, but the bordering rows of teeth are well marked. 

 Tentacular arms compressed, very little longer than the longest pair of sessile 

 arms. Cupules arranged on the distal two-fifths, largest in the middle, be- 

 coming very small towards each end. Mouth small, the surrounding membrane 

 without cupules, with a bifurcating process between the dorsal pair of arms 

 and one extending to each of the other sessile arms. Surface flesh colored, 

 covered with small dots, sparsely placed on the lower side and pinkish ; on 

 the back these dots are nearly black and placed close together so as to pro- 

 duce a mottled appearance. Between the back and sides there is a well marked 

 lighter band extending from the edge of the fins to the anterior end of the 

 body. 



Shell narrow, pointed in front and tapering backwards regularly, except 

 the last half inch which is dilated into the usual slipper-like process. 



Length of body 5-5 in.; circumference 3 in.; length of fin 1*8.; width of fin 

 3-4 in. ; length of head -8 in. ; breadth (about) *9 in. ; length of longest ses- 

 sile arm 2-1.; length of shortest 1-5 in.; length of tentacular arm 2-5 in. ; length 

 of siphon (about) *5 in. 



Locality. Coast of California ? 



The specimen was presented to me by Dr. W. 0. Ayres, of San Francisco, 

 and was found in a lot of salt, most probably from near Point Conception. 

 The colors are well preserved, but the specimen is so soft after relaxation that 

 the exact form of the head cannot be determined. 



It resembles sagittate/,, d'Orb., in both external form and the shape of the 

 shell. It differs from that species, however, in the much shorter tentacular 

 arms and the broader fin. The shell, which is pointed in nearly the same 

 manner anteriorly, tapers regularly, while in d'Orbigny's species it is suddenly 

 constricted. 



On the Classification of the Families and Genera of the SQUALX of 



California. 



BY THEODORE GILL. 



In continuing at intervals the study of the Elasmobranchiate Fishes, T have 

 felt obliged to modify several portions of the classification of the Squali that 

 have been adopted in the "Analytical Synopsis of the order," from previous 



1862.] 



