A, E. Verrill—Mollusca of the New England Coast. 141 
Taonius and Desmoteuthis it differs still more widely, and evidently 
has no near relationship with them. It shows more affinity with 
Cheiroteuthis, in the connective cartilages and many other respects, 
and like that genus has large ventral arms, with a special row of color 
spots on them ; but there is nothing of the peculiar structure of the ten- 
tacular suckers seen in the latter. Its nearest allies appear to be Calli- 
teuthis V. and Brachioteuthis V., from both of which it is clearly dis- 
tinct generically. It may, therefore, be referred to the family Cheiro- 
teuthide, along with the two last-named genera. 
Leptoteuthis diaphana Verrill, sp. nov. 
PLATE XXXII; FIGURE 1. 
A small, elongated, very slender, translucent species, with the head 
very large and long, as compared to the body, its length being more 
than half that of the body and tail taken together, and more than 
three-fourths that of the body to the caudal fin. Sessile arms slender, 
the ventral arms much larger and longer than the others, about equal 
in length to the head and body to the base of the tail. Tentacular 
arms long and slender. Caudal fin ovate, acutely pointed posteriorly. 
Head elongated, cylindrical, smooth, and nearly transparent, ex- 
cept in the region of the eyes. The eyes are of moderate size, not 
very prominent, with a broad, thin lower eyelid, but without any dis- 
tinct lachrymal sinus. Body, in front of the fin, slender anteriorly, 
about equal to the head in diameter, somewhat tapering backward to 
the base of the caudal fin, and then abruptly narrowing to a very 
slender caudal portion, running along the under surface of the fin like 
a mid-rib and terminating in a very slender, acute tip. Anterior edge 
of the mantle thin, very evenly truncated ventrally and laterally, but 
extending on the dorsal side into a broad, angular, obtusely pointed 
lobe. Caudal fin relatively large, elongated, ovate, decidedly broad- 
est in the middle, narrowing distinctly anteriorly, with the anterior 
lobes small, rounded, and projecting only slightly forward beyond 
the insertion ; posteriorly the fin narrows rapidly to a long, slender, 
acuminate tip. Siphon well developed, with the terminal portion 
elongated and free for some distance, strongly recurved in our speci- 
men. Connective cartilages on the lateral base of the siphon small, 
elliptical, somewhat ear-shaped, with a continuous, raised rim, and 
with two small interior lobes, one of which is ventral and the other 
posterior, leaving between them a small, deep sinus, directed down- 
ward and backward. The corresponding cartilages on the inner sur- 
face of the mantle are small prominent, somewhat triquetral tubercles, 
