A. E. Verrill — MoUusca of the JSfeio England Coast. 407 



are much larger and broader, witli the end more rounded ; and the 

 anterior edge is thinner and more convex, than after preservation in 

 alcohol, though the length is not much greater in proportion. The 

 web appears broader, and the arms longer. In one specimen, from 

 station 2224, the body is more elongated behind the fins than in the 

 others, while the long and very broad fins are placed some distance 

 back from the eyes, or about midway between the eyes and the end 

 of the body, and the web does not extend half the length of the 

 arms. It was at first thought that this individual might represent 

 another species, but these creatures are evidently capable of changing 

 their forms and proportions to a great extent, according to the state 

 of contraction of their various parts. 



Both the larger specimens of this species have a curious appendage 

 on most, if not all, of the arms. This is a fleshy, tentacle-like pro- 

 cess, with a somewhat thickened base, and a tapering, acute tip. It 

 is situated at about the distal third of the arm, on the posterior side, 

 near the edge of the web, and diverges widely from the arm. In one 

 specimen this is present on all the arms of the left side and on two of 

 those on the right side. On the other arms they probably have been 

 destroyed, the arms being injured. The length of this organ is 

 about equal to the breadth of the arms. When perfect these organs, 

 which are muscular, were probably united to the web, and served to 

 support or strengthen it. I am not aware that an organ of this kind 

 has before been observed among the Cephalopods. But it may, 

 perhaps, correspond to one of the transverse supports of the mar- 

 ginal membranes of Sthenoteuthis and Otnniastrephes. 



Two specimens (No. 39,963) were taken at station 2,225, N. lat. 

 36° 05' 30", W. long. 69° 51' 45", in 2,512 fathoms, on yellow ooze, 

 bottom temperature 37° F.; and two at station 2,224, N. lat. 36° 16' 

 30", W. long. 68° 21', in 2,574 fathoms, globigerina ooze. 



A smalb specimen, from station 2,220, appears to be a younger 

 stage of this species, with which it agrees, in the small, short body ; 

 the narrow, elongated fins, and the comparatively small eyes, as well 

 as in the chocolate-brown color of the inner surfaces of the arms and 

 web ; but the external surfaces of the body, web and arms are also 

 strongly colored with deep brown. The arms in this specimen are 

 nearly equal in length, the ventral ones, being a little shorter than 

 the others. The web appears to extend farther toward the tips of 

 the arms than in the larger examples, but this may be due to better 

 preservation. The suckers are small, prominent, and closely ar- 

 ranged. 



Trans. Conn. Acad., Vol. VI. 51 April, 1885. 



