514 loliginidj:. 



so numerous as to give a darkened red appearance to that part. 

 The external cuticle containing these spots is easily detached, leav- 

 ing the denuded part of a pearly white. 



Length of head and body, 4.0-6.0. 



This beautiful Squid is nearly allied to the L. Pealii of Lesucur ; 

 but this latter has its suckers arranged in two regular series, with 

 the disks obliquely truncated. It has also a membrane along the 

 lateral edges of the arms, and an acute termination of the caudal 

 extremity. 



Dr. Gould, in his valuable report on the Invertebrata of Massa- 

 chusetts, has furnished us with an exceedingly interesting account of 

 the habits of these animals. Their colors vary every moment from 

 vivid red to deep blue, violet, brown, or orange. Their usual mode 

 of swimming is by dilating their body and filling it with water ; the 

 body is then suddenly contracted and the water forcibly ejected so 

 as to pro])el them backward with great rapidity, shooting like ar- 

 rows through the water. They devour great numbers of small fish 

 and crabs. 



The species above described is the only one I have noticed on the 

 coast of New York, although I think it highly probable that the six 

 following, described in detail by Lesueur, will also at no distant day 

 be detected on our coast. The plate referred to for the punctata 

 contains a figure of the cartilaginous, or rather membranous inter- 

 nal support ; a figure of the oral apparatus (fig. 3) , and a bunch of 

 the egg-cases, or sea-grapes^ as they are termed in Europe, with an 

 embryo of a Sepia highly magnified. This congeries I found on the 

 northern shores of Long Island. (De Kay.') 



Connecticut (^Linsle//). 



Loligo Pealii. 



Loli'fjo Pealii, Lesdeur, Journ. Ac. Nat. Sc. Phila. ii. 92, pi. 8 (1821). -De Kay, N. Y. 

 Moll. 4, pi. 38, fig. .3.'J4 (1843). — Fercssac and D'Orbigny, Hist. Nat. dcs Ceph. 

 311, pi. 2; pi. 10, figs. 17-21 (183,5 - 1848). — Gray, Brit. Mus. Ceph. 71 (1849). 

 — Stimpson, Check Lists, 6 (1860). 



Boston QGray)', South Carolina and New York (^Ferussac and 

 D' Orbigny). 



The original description here follows : — 



This species, which appertains to the fine collection of the Phila- 

 delphia Museum, was politely confided to my care for examination 

 by the manager of that interesting and superb establishment, Mr. 



