A, FE. Verrill—Mollusca of the New England Coast. 407 
are much larger and broader, with the end more rounded; and the 
anterior edge is thinner and more convex, than after preservation in 
alcohol, though the length is not much greater in proportion. The 
web appears broader, and the arms longer. In one specimen, from 
station 2224, the body is more elongated behind the fins than in the 
others, while the long and very broad fins are placed some distance 
back from the eyes, or about midway between the eyes and the end 
of the body, and the web does not extend half the length of the 
arms. It was at first thought that this individual might represent 
another species, but these creatures are evidently capable of changing 
their forms and proportions to a great extent, according to the state 
of contraction of their various parts. 
Both the larger specimens of this species have a curious appendage 
on most, if not all, of the arms. This is a fleshy, tentacle-like pro- 
cess, with a somewhat thickened base, and a tapering, acute tip. It 
is situated at about the distal third of the arm, on the posterior side, 
near the edge of the web, and diverges widely from the arm. In one 
specimen this is present on all the arms of the left side and on two of 
those on the right side. On the other arms they probably have been 
destroyed, the arms being injured. The length of this organ is 
about equal to the breadth of the arms. When perfect these organs, 
which are muscular, were probably united to the web, and served to 
support or strengthen it. I am not aware that an organ of this kind 
has before been observed among the Cephalopods. But it may, 
perhaps, correspond to one of the transverse supports of the mar- 
ginal membranes of Sthenoteuthis and Ommastrephes. 
Two specimens (No: 39,963) were taken at station 2,225, N. lat. 
36° 05' 30”, W. long. 69° 51’ 45”, in 2,512 fathoms, on yellow ooze, _ 
bottom temperature 37° F.; and two at station 2,224, N. lat. 36° 16’ 
30”, W. long. 68° 21’, in 2,574 fathoms, globigerina ooze. ? 
A small specimen, from station 2,220, appears to be a younger 
stage of this species, with which it agrees, in the small, short body; 
the narrow, elongated fins, and the comparatively small eyes, as well 
as in the chocolate-brown color of the inner surfaces of the arms and 
web; but the external surfaces of the body, web and arms are also 
strongly colored with deep brown. The arms in this specimen are 
nearly equal in length, the ventral ones, being a little shorter than 
the others. The web appears to extend farther toward the tips of 
the arms than in the larger examples, but this may be due to better 
preservation. The suckers are small, prominent, and closely ayr- 
ranged. 
TRANS. Conn. Acan., Vou. VI. 51 APRIL, 1885. 
