178 A, EF. Verrill—North American Cephalopods. 
often vomit large fragments of them in such a condition as to be re- 
* The first reliable account, known to me, of specimens 
cognizable, 
actually taken in American waters by our fishermen and whalemen was 
published by Dr. A. 8S. Packard, in 1873.¢ In that article Dr. Pack- 
ard described a portion of a jaw from a large specimen (our No. 1) 
taken by the Gloucester fishermen on the Grand Banks, and a very 
large pair of jaws taken from the stomach of a sperm whale, (our No. 
10). Soon after this, in 1873, a large living specimen was encoun- 
tered by two fishermen in Conception Bay, and one of the tentacular- 
arms, which was secured, was preserved in the museum of St. John’s, 
Newfoundland, by the Rev. Mr. Harvey and Mr. Alexander Murray, 
(our No. 2). Both these gentlemen wrote good and interesting 
accounts of this specimen, which were extensively copied in the 
magazines and newspapers, while a photograph of the arm itself 
was also secured and distributed. 
This important addition to our knowledge of these creatures was 
followed, a few weeks later, by the capture of a nearly perfect speci- 
men of the same species, near St. John’s. Mr. Harvey and Mr. 
Murray likewise secured this specimen and published detailed ac- 
counts of it, which gave a more accurate idea of the character of the 
genus and species than any previous descriptions. 
My own attention was specially directed to these large Cephalopods, 
at that time, on account of being so fortunate as to secure for study 
most of the preserved portions of all the specimens referred to above, 
with some additional ones, detailed below. For these very mterest- 
ing specimens I am especially indebted to the zeal and kindness of 
the Rev. Mr. Harvey, and to Professor 8. F. Baird. To Dr. A, 8. 
Packard I am indebted for the use of the jaws of No. 10. Mr. Pour- 
tales, of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, has also kindly sent 
the specimens belonging to that museum, and Mr. W. H. Dall has 
contributed his specimens and drawings of a species from Alaska, 
Special acknowledgments to others will be found in connection with 
the descriptions of the specimens. 
Although I have, in several former papers,{ given details of the 
* See Maury’s Sailing Directions; also articles by N.S Shaler, American Naturalist, 
vol. vii, p. 3, 1873; by Dr. Packard, op. cit., p.90; and by Mr. W. H. Dall, op. cit., 
p. 484. 
+ American Naturalist, vol. vii, p. 91, February, 1873. 
¢ American Jour. Science, vol. vii, p. 158, Feb., 1874; vol. ix, pp. 123, 177, Plates 
II-V, 1875; vol. x, p. 213, Sept., 1875; vol. xii, p. 236, 1876; vol. xiv, p. 425, Nov., 
1877. American Naturalist, vol. viii, p. 167, 1874; vol. ix, pp. 21, 78, Jan. and Feb., 
1875. 
