114 BULLETIN OF THE 



compressed, with the tips attenuated ; the first five suckers are much smaller 

 than those that follow ; the next five or six suckers are the largest ; they de- 

 crease to about the tenth, and then become larger opposite the edge of the web, 

 finally diminishing gradually to the tips ; the cirri, which alternate with the 

 suckers on each side, are widely separated from them along the middle of the 

 arms ; they are small, slender, tapered, acute, dark purplish brown in color; 

 those toward the tip and close to the base of the arms are very small. The 

 beak is moderately large, black. The buccal membrane is covered with small 

 verrucae. 



Color of the upper surface chocolate-brown, with small scattered roundish 

 spots of yellowish white. Fins paler brown. Inner surface of the web dark 

 chocolate-brown. Inner surface of the arms much paler than the web. 



Length of body and head, to base of arms, 60 mm.; breadth of body, 50 mm.; 

 breadth of head across eyes, 52 mm.; extreme breadth across fins, 105 mm.; 

 from base of fin to tip, 30 mm.; anterior to posterior edge, 17 mm.; diameter 

 of eyes, 25 mm.; breadth of interbrachial web, from mouth, 75 mm.; length of 

 dorsal arms, 130 mm.; of lateral arms, 120 mm.; of ventral arms, 130 mm.; 

 greatest breadth of dorsal arms, 9 mm.: diameter of largest suckers, 3 mm.; 

 length of cirri, 2 to 3 mm. 



Station 260, in 291 fathoms, off" Grenada, Blake Expedition, 1878-79. 



This remarkable species dilfers widely from any hitherto described. It is 

 more closely related to Stauroteuthis sertensis than to any other known species ; 

 from the latter and from Cirrhoteuthis it differs in having the body and head 

 closely adnate to the brachial membranes so as to entirely conceal the ventral 

 portions ; in the posterior position of the siphon ; and in the arrangement of the 

 cirri on the inner surface of the arms. The fins appear to be larger and more 

 highly developed than in either of the genera referred to. The transverse sup- 

 porting cartilages are not united across the back, as they appear to be in both 

 the related genera. The arrangement of the web between the arms appears to 

 be unlike that of Staurote^iiJiis, but the only known specimen of the latter was 

 in such a poor state of preservation as to render this statement unreliable. Per- 

 haps the most remarkable characteristic of this species is the posterior position 

 of the siphon and branchial opening, a position which is rendered necessary by 

 reason of the close attachment of the head and body to the brachial membrane. 

 The condition of the internal parts of the specimen is such as to render it im- 

 possible to determine the precise character and position of the branchial opening 

 and gills. Only one specimen was obtained, and this is probably a female, for 

 no evidence of hectocotylization can be detected on any of the arms, all of which 

 are well preserved. 



New Haven, October, 1883. 



