108 BULLETIN OF THE 



NECTOTEUTHIS Verrill, gen. nov. 



Sepiolidte allied to Stolotcuthis. Mantle with a free anterior dorsal edge ; 

 ventrally forming a sort of shield for the lower surface of the body, and pro- 

 longed far forward beyond the eyes, as a broad upturned lobe. Fins large, 

 thin. Eyes large. Arms iinited by a web of considerable extent. Sessile 

 arms, in the type-specimen (probably male) with the suckers on the distal 

 part very minute, conical, sessile on the ends of stout tapering or conical pedi- 

 cels ; those on the proximal part normal, small, obli(|ue, with slender pedicels. 

 Pen not observed, perhaps wanting. Club of tentacular arms with numerous 

 minute, subequal suckers, in many rows. 



Nectoteuthis Pourtalesii Verrill. 



Plate III. Figs. 1 - 1 b. 



A very small species, remarkable for its short, thick body ; the great size of 

 the ventral shield, which extends forward beyond the bases of the ventral arms ; 

 and the large conical sucker-pedicels, surmounted by minute suckers, on the 

 distal half of the arras. 



Body short, higher than broad, and well rounded behind ; dorsal surface con- 

 vex ; the free mantle border is nearly transversely truncated, with a slight lobe 

 in the middle ; sides, below the fins, compressed, nearly vertical. A large 

 ovate, convex shield occupies nearly the whole ventral surface, extending back- 

 ward nearly to the posterior end, covering the whole width in the middle, and 

 extending forward far beyond the lateral and dorsal mantle-margins, and to the 

 anterior portion of the head ; the anterior margin of the ventral shield is 

 curved upward, leaving a deep concavity within ; this portion of the ventral 

 shield conceals and protects the entire lower surface of the head and siphon ; 

 on the sides, the margin recedes in such a way as to leave the large, prominent 

 eyes exposed. The fins are attached aliove the middle line of the body; mod- 

 erately large, very thin and delicate, transparent, except at base, with the mar- 

 gin undulated in the preserved specimen ; the bases of the fins extend forward 

 close to the margin of the mantle and backward about half the leu"th of the 

 body; the anterior end is evenly rounded, forming nearly a semicircle. Head 

 large, as broad as the body, narrowed in front. The eyes, which are verj^ large 

 and prominent, occupy nearly the whole of the sides of the head ; eyelids thin 

 but distinct ; pupil round. Arms small, slender, unequal in size and length, 

 and connected together for some distance by a basal web, which extends farthest 

 between the dorsal arms and is wanting between the ventral pair. The web 

 has an outer fold, as it passes the second pair of arms, so that the latter appear to 

 be inside the edge of the web. Dorsal arms much shorter than the lateral and 

 ventral pairs, the free tips projecting but little beyond the edge of the web. 

 The arms increase successively in length froni the dorsal to the ventral pairs, 

 which scarcely exceed the third pair, but all have the same kinds of suckers, in 



