336 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [126] 



with distinct, separate, small caudal fins, tchich are free from the end of 

 the body ; its mantle-edge is also represented as free dorsally. This 

 evidently is a generic type distinct from Taonius and Desmoteuthis. 

 Indeed, it probably will be found not to belong to the same family, 

 when actually studied. Therefore, it seems necessary to allow the name 

 Loligopsis to remain connected with such small, short-bodied species, 

 for which alone it was originally used. The genus, in its original sense, 

 cannot yet be regarded as fully established. 



Leachia Lesueur, 1821* (=Perothis (Esch.) Rathke, 1835), was also 

 based on an imperfect figure of a small Pacific Ocean squid, which had 

 likewise lost its tentacular arms. The only generic character given was, 

 as in Lamarck's case, the presence of only eight arms — a purely fictitious 

 character. The type of this genus was Leachia cyclura Les. It has a 

 more elongated body, slender posteriorly, with a more or less rounded 

 caudal fin, the two sides of the fin completely united together and to the 

 posterior end of the body. The third pair of arms is much larger than 

 the others. The anterior dorsal edge of the lnantle is represented as 

 free in all the figures, but, according to D'Orbigny, there is an internal 

 dorsal commissure, and also two lateral ones. The visceral anatomy of 

 one species of this group (L. guttata Grant), which D'Orbigny refers, 

 probably correctly ,t to the original L. cyclura, is pretty well known, and 

 is widely different from that of Desmoteuthis (see Plate XXIV, fig. 1), as 

 well as from that of Taonius, so far as the latter is known. 



There can be no doubt whatever as to the generic distinctness of 

 Leachia, if the anatomy be taken into account. (See the figures of 

 Grant and D'Orbigny.) 



Taonius Steenstrup, 1861 (type T. pavo). This differs from the two 

 preceding genera in its more elongated form, narrow caudal fin, &c. 

 From Leachia and Desmoteuthis it differs in the form of its pen. The 

 dorsal edge of the mantle is represented and described as free by D'Or- 

 bigny. The anatomical characters are not known. 



Desmoteuthis hyperborea Verrill. 



Leachia hyperborea Steenstrup, Kongelige Daiiske Vidensk. Selsk. Skrifter, 5r., 



vol. iv, p. 200, 1856 (sep. copies, p. 16). 

 Taonius hyperboreus Steenst., Oversigt Kgl. Danske Vidensk. Selsk., Forhand- 



linger, 1861, p. 83. 

 Verrill, Amer. Journ. Sci., vol. xvii, p. 243, 1879; vol. xix, p. 290, 1880. 

 Loligopsis hyperboreus Tryon, op. cit., p. 162 (inaccurate translation, after 



Steenstrup). 

 Desmoteuthis hyperborea Verrill, Trans. Conn. Acad., vol. v, p. 302, pi. 27, figs. 



1, 2, pi. 29, fig. 1, Feb., 1881. 



Plate XXIV, figures 1-3. Plate XXV, figures 1, 2 (anatomy). 



5. Body very long, tapering gradually backward, and ending in a 



* Journal Philad. Acad., vol. ii, p. 89, pi. 2. 



t Tryon criticizes this determination because Lesueur "describes and figures a 

 smooth species," while L. guttata has two rows of curious tubercles on the ventral side. 

 But as Lesueur only described a figure of the dorsal surface, his objection to this identi- 

 fication is absurd. 



