REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [ 134 ] 
then rather suddenly narrows to a point, over the end of the pen; the 
point, when in its normal position, reaches as far forward as the poste¬ 
rior border of the eye, or even beyond it. Dorsal connective cartilage 
long, tapering backwards, with a very prominent, broad dorsal keel; 
the anterior end is free and shaped like the end of the pen. Siphon 
large, rounded anteriorly, with a broad, bilabiate opening; lateral carti¬ 
lages (Plate XXIX, fig. 1, f) long and narrow, subacute anteriorly, pos¬ 
terior end with a thin, rounded outer lobe; median groove narrow. The 
connective cartilages of the mantle (fig. 1, f) are simple longitudinal 
ridges, fading out gradually posteriorly. Head moderately large, usually 
narrower than the mantle, smaller in the male than in the female; eyes 
large; nuchal crests (fig. 1, b) above the ear, formed by longer upper, 
and shorter inferior, oblique, longitudinal membranes, the two united 
by a doubly curved or V-shaped membrane, having its angle directed 
forward, the whole having a rude W-shaped form. 
Arms large, stout, the three upper pairs successively longer; the ven¬ 
tral ones a little shorter than the third pair, and a little longer than the 
second pair. All the arms have narrow, thin marginal membranes, 
strengthened by strong transverse muscular ridges. The first and 
second pairs of arms are trapezoidal at base; third pair stouter, com¬ 
pressed, with a keel on the middle of the outer side. Suckers in two 
regular rows on all the arms, deep, very oblique, largest on the lateral 
arms; those on the ventral arms are smaller, but otherwise similar. 
Horny rings yellowish or brownish (white when fresh), strong; on the 
larger proximal suckers the outer or higher side is divided into about 
six broad, flattened, incurved teeth, which are blunt, subtruncate, and 
sometimes even emarginate at tip, remainder of margin nearly even; 
the smaller suckers, toward the tips of the arms, have the teeth longer, 
much more slender, and more acute. 
The tentacular arms (Plate XXVI, fig. 2) with fresh specimens, in full 
extension, may reach back nearly to the end of the body; with preserved 
specimens they seldom extend beyond the middle of the caudal fin; 
they are rather slender, compressed, with a narrow, thin membranous keel 
along the outer edge, becoming wider at the club; on the distal half 
of the club it is much wider and runs a little obliquely along the back 
part of the upper side, where it is usually folded down against the side, 
its inner surface being whitish. The club is rather broad and thick, 
with a wide, scalloped marginal membrane along each edge; these mem¬ 
branes are strengthened by transverse muscular ridges, which commence 
between the large central suckers and fork at the pedicels of the margi¬ 
nal ones. Along the center of the club there are two alternating rows 
of large, broad, depressed suckers, about seven in each, with a few 
smaller ones, of the same series, at both ends; along each edge, alter¬ 
nating with the large suckers, there is a row of smaller and more oblique 
marginal suckers, about half as large. The proximal part of the club 
bears only a few small denticulated suckers; the distal part bears a 
