230 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [20] 



mere estimates that have beeu made, which are usually much too great. 

 Allowing for the parts of the arms that had beeu destroyed, this speci- 

 men would, probably, Lave weighed nearly 1,000 pounds. 



Among the numerous other vessels that were fortunate in securing 

 this kind of bait, Captain Collins mentions the following: 



The schooner " Sarah P. Ayer," Captain Oakly, took one or two. 



The " E. R. Xickerson," Captain McDonald, secured one that had its 

 arms and was not entirely dead, so that it was harpooned. Its tentac- 

 ular arms were 30 feet long (No. 20). 



The schooner " Tragabigzanda," Captain Mallory, secured three in one 

 afternoon. These were 8 to 12 feet long, not including the arms. 



These statements are confirmed by other fishermen, some of whom 

 state that the " big squids " were also common during the same season 

 at the u Flemish Cap," a bank situated some distance northeast from the 

 Grand Banks. 



The cause of so great a mortality among these great Cephalopods can 

 only be conjectured. It may have been due to some disease epidemic 

 among them, or to an unusual prevalence of deadly parasites or other ene- 

 mies. It is worth while, however, to recall the fact that these were ob- 

 served at about the same time, in autumn, when most of the specimens 

 have been found cast ashore at Newfoundland in different years. This 

 time may, perhaps, be just subsequent to their season for reproduction, 

 when they would be so much weakened as to be more easily overpowered 

 by parasites, disease, or other unfavorable conditions. 



HistioteutMs Collinsii Verrill. 



In addition to the foregoing examples, all of which, except No. 21, are 

 believed to be referable to the genus Architeuthis, I have, in former arti- 

 cles* described a very remarkable large squid, belonging to the genus 

 Histiotewthis, in which a broad thin membrane or web unites the six 

 upper arms together nearly to their tips, wdiile the lower ones have a 

 sborter web uniting them to the rest. Although small, when contrasted 

 with the gigantic specimens of Architeuthis, it is considerably larger 

 than any of the common small squids, and as it inhabits the same locali- 

 ties with Architeuthis, and has some points of resemblance to the latter 

 genus, especially in having the smooth-rimmed suckers for uniting to- 

 gether the long tentacular arms, I have thought it best to mention it in 

 this part of my article, in connection with the species of Architeuthis. 

 The only specimen known was obtained (with No. 10) from the stomach 

 of a large and voracious fish [Alepidosaurusferoac), having a formidable 

 array of long, sharp teeth, eminently adapted for the capture of such 

 prey. It was taken by Capt. J. W. Collins and crew, of the schooner 

 "Marion," in deep water off the coast of Nova Scotia, and presented to 

 the United States Fish Commission. This species (H. Collinsii) is fig- 

 ured on Plate XXIII, and will be described farther on. 



* American Journal of Science, vol. xvii, p. 241, 1879; vol. xix, p. 29, pi. 14, 1880; 

 Trans. Conn. Acad., vol. v, pp. 195, 234, pi. 22. 



