252 A, EF. Verrill—North American Cephalopods. 
hood or cone, which appears to be inserted into a solid terminal cone, 
much as in LZ. robusta, but the cone is relatively shorter. The caudal 
fin is large, rhomboidal, and acute posteriorly, as in the latter. The 
tentacular-club bears two large, abruptly curved, claw-like hooks in 
the middle, with numerous small suckers around them, and on the 
proximal part. The length of the head and body of the original 
example was about 28 (11 inches). 
Mr. Dall has described a small species (probably young) from the 
coast of California, which may possibly belong to the same group. 
He referred it doubtfully to Onychoteuthis (0. lobipennis Dall). 
Professor G. O. Sars, in his recent work (Mollusca Reg. Arct. 
Norvegiz, p. 377), also mentions a specimen of Architeuthis (12 feet 
long), cast ashore on the Norwegian coast, at Foldenfjord, in 1874. 
He refers it doubtfully to “A. dux Steenstrup,” (from the Kattegat) 
by which we should understand A. monachus, without doubt. 
Note on Large Species of Octopus. 
Although this article relates specially to the gigantic species of 
ten-armed Cephalopods, it may not be amiss to add a few lines in 
respect to species of Octopus, that attain large dimensions. It is 
certain, however, that none of the latter that have hitherto been 
examined by naturalists reach dimensions to be compared with those 
of the species of Architeuthis, Onychoteuthis (or Lestoteuthis) robusta 
and their allies. 
The common Octopus of the west coast of North America (0. 
punctatus Gabb) is one of the largest of its tribe, hitherto studied. 
According to Mr. W. H. Dall,* it occurs abundantly at Sitka, and 
there “reaches a length of sixteen feet or a radial spread of nearly 
twenty-eight feet, but the whole mass is much smaller than that of 
the decapodous cephalopods of lesser length. In the Octopus above 
mentioned, the body would not exceed six inches in diameter and a 
foot in length, and the arms attain an extreme tenuity toward their 
tips.” Dr. W. O. Ayres tells me that he has often seen this species 
exposed for sale in the markets of San Francisco (where it is eaten 
chiefly by the French), and that specimens with the arms 6 or 7 
feet long arecommon, A smaller specimen, presented to the museum 
of Yale College, was over 4 feet long, and weighed 145 pounds. 
Prof. W. H. Brewer states that he has seen specimens in the San 
Francisco markets which spread fourteen feet across the outstretched 
arms. 
* American Naturalist, vii, p. 485, 1873. 
