262 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [52] 



resembles that of A. Harvey i more, than A. princeps, and is a little larger 

 than that of our No. 5. The beak is more rounded dorsally, less acute, 

 and scarcely incurved ; the notch is narrow, and the alar tooth is not 

 prominent. 



M. Paul Gervais, in the Journal de Zoologie, ix, p. 90, 1875, gives a 

 short description of this species, based apparently on the proof-sheets 

 and unpublished plates (not seen by me) of Steenstrup's article referred 

 to above. He describes it as follows : A large species, of which a frag- 

 ment of an arm preserved in the Museum of Copenhagan is nearly as 

 large as the arm of a man. The sucker-bearing surface of the arm is 

 extended bilaterally into a membrane exceeding, on each side, the arm 

 itself. Diameter of the opening of the suckers 0.020 m ; of the suckers 

 themselves 0.030 m . Length of the dorsal bone (pen) 2 m ; breadth [long- 

 ueur, by error], measured in the middle of its length [longueur], 0.17™. 

 He refers to Steenstrup's Plates III and IV. 



In a letter to the writer, dated September 4, 1875, Professor Steen- 

 strup states that, in addition to the specimens above mentioned, there 

 are, in the museum of the University of Copenhagen, two complete speci- 

 mens of Architeuthis, preserved in alcohol. Both are of comparatively 

 small size. One, from the northern coast of Iceland,* he refers to A. 

 monachus. It has tentacular arms 10 feet long, and sessile arms 4 feet 

 long. The other is a still smaller one, from the warmer parts of the 

 Atlantic, possibly the young of A. aux. 



It is evident, therefore, that at no distant day most of the remaining 

 doubtful points in respect to the structure and relationship of the spe- 

 cies of this genus can be cleared up by Professor Steenstrup, even if 

 additional specimens should not be obtained. 



The publication of Professor Steenstrup's detailed memoir upon this 

 genus would give great pleasure and satisfaction to all students of this 

 class of animals. His thorough knowledge of the group, and his numer- 

 ous and important investigations' of the Cephalopods, published during 

 many years, will give special value to his conclusions. 



Halting, in the important memoir referred to, describes specimens of 

 two species, both of which are apparently distinct from all the New- 

 foundland specimens enumerated by me. 



The first of these (his Plate I) is represented by the jaws and buccal 

 mass, with the lingual dentition and some detached suckers, preserved 

 in the museum of the University of Utrecht, but from an unknown local- 

 ity. These parts are well figured and described, and were referred to 

 Architeuthis dux by Harting. The form of the lower jaw (see Plate XII, 

 fig. 1) is unlike that of A. dux, for the beak is very acute, the cut- 

 ting edge is concave, the notch shallow and broad, and the alar tooth 

 is somewhat prominent. The size is about the same as our No. 5. The 

 suckers (Plate XII, fig. 2 a, 2 b) are from the sessile arms, and agree 

 pretty nearly with those of A'. Harveyi. The edge is strengthened by 



* This one is referred to by Dr. Packard, Ainer. Naturalist, vol. vii, p. 94, 1873. 



