T. W. Kirk. — On a new Species of Architeuthis. 37 



of equal diameter throughout. The clavate portion is triangu- 

 lar, with a membrane on the posterior angle. A large and irre- 

 gular cluster of small suckers and tubercles at the base of the 

 club ; this cluster gradually thins out and extends up the arm, 

 the distance between the individual suckers increasing till they 

 are about twenty inches apart ; they then occur at regular inter- 

 vals, a pair, sucker and tubercle, all up the arms. The larger 

 suckers on the club are arranged in two alternating rows, with 

 smaller intermediate marginal ones on each side. 



The head is long, and of equal circumference, save a little 

 behind the centre of the eye, where the cephalic cartilage causes 

 a distinct prominence. The eye is prominent, with a well 

 developed lid and anterior sinus. 



The body is somewhat contracted a short distance behind 

 the anterior margin, then it increases in circumference to the 

 centre, whence it tapers to the tail. 



The fins (Plate VIII., fig. 1) are broad rhomboidal, the 

 posterior extremity produced into a blunt, but well developed, 

 "tail;" the anterior lateral margins somewhat concave, and 

 produced beyond the insertion, but the produced portion 

 rounded. 



The jaws (Plate IX., fig. 1, 2), when in position, as shown 

 in Plate IX., fig. 3, form a powerful beak, resembling that of 

 some gigantic bird of prey, except that the order is reversed, and 

 in this instance the upper jaw fits into the lower, not lower 

 into upper as is the case with birds. The tips of the 

 jaws are black, which gradually passes into dark brown, 

 and this again into a much lighter shade till the margin is 

 reached, where the brown has quite disappeared and a border 

 of dirty white remains. The palatine lamina is dark brown, 

 becoming lighter toward the margins, which are white. The 

 rostrum is strong, convex, acute, and curved forward, the 

 cutting edges being concave, not, or but very slightly, notched 

 at the base. The anterior edges of the alaB are uneven, being 

 toothed or chipped all along. The lower mandible is very 

 stout, not so much curved, no notch near the tip, which is 

 acute ; cutting edge straight, with deep notches at the base ; 

 succeeding this notch, and just on the anterior edge of the alae, is 

 a broad prominent lobe or tooth, the edges sloping from this to 

 a depression, whence they rise again before rounding off. 



The teeth of the radula are in seven rows, with on each side 

 a marginal row of thin unarmed plates. The teeth are a light 

 horn colour, but become darker in spirit. Those of the median 

 line have three fangs, all truncate (see PI. IX., fig. 4), the 

 centre one much the largest, the laterals are slightly turned out- 

 wards ; those of the sub-median line have two fangs, the inner 

 one being the largest and turned towards the median tooth, 

 while the outer one is slightly inclined towards its sub-lateral 



