282 A. M Verrill — North American Cephalopods. 



tive organs were not in an active condition. The same is true of all 

 the specimens that I have taken at other localities in summer. From 

 the fact that the oviducts are small and simple, and the nidamental 

 glands little developed, I believe that it will eventually prove that 

 this species discharges its eggs free in the ocean, and that they will 

 be found floating at the surface, either singly or in gelatinous masses 

 or bands, not having any complicated capsules to enclose them. 

 Nothing is known as to the length of time required by this species to 

 attain its full size. It probably lives several years. 



This squid is an exceedingly active creature, darting with great 

 velocity backward, or in any other direction, by means of the reaction 

 of the jet of water which is ejected with great force from the siphon, 

 and which may be directed forward or backward, or to the right or 

 left, by bending the siphon. Even when confined in a limited space, 

 as in a fish-pound, it is not an easy matter to captui-e them with a 

 dip-net, so quick will they dart away, to the right and left. When 

 darting rapidly the lobes of the caudal fin are closely wrapped around 

 the body* and the arms are held tight together, forming an acute 

 bundle in front, so that the animal, in this condition, is sharp at both 

 ends, and passes through the water with the least possible resistance. 

 Its caudal fin is used as an accessory organ of locomotion when it 

 slowly swims about, or balances itself for some time nearly in one 

 position in the water. 



The best observations of the modes of capturing its prey are by 

 Messrs. S. I. Smith and Oscar Harger, who observed it at Province- 

 town, Massachusetts, among the wharves, in large numbers, July 28, 

 1872, engaged in capturing and devouring the young mackerel, which 

 were swimming about in ' schools,' and at that time were about four 

 or five inches long. In attacking the mackerel they would suddenly 

 dart backwai-d among the fish with the velocity of an arrow, and as 

 suddenly turn obliquely to the right or left and seize a fish, which 

 was almost instantly killed by a bite in the back of the neck with 

 their sharp beaks. The bite was always made in the same place, cut- 

 ting out a triangular piece of flesh, and was deep enough to penetrate 

 to the spinal cord. The attacks were not always successful, and were 

 sometimes repeated a dozen times before one of these active and wary 



* This position of the fins is well shown in Plate 26, fig. 341, of Binney's edition of 

 Gould's Invertebrata of Massachusetts. This figure was probably drawn by Mr. Burk- 

 hardt from living specimens formerly kept in Cutting's Aquarium, in Boston, about 

 1860 to 1862. This figure is very good, in most respects, except that the clubs of the 

 tentacles have been confounded with the ventral pair of the sessile arms, and thus the 

 suckers are made to continue along the whole length of the tentacles. 



