[209] CEPHALOPODS OF NORTHEASTERN COAST OF AMERICA. 419 

 MOROTEUTHIS Verrill. (See pp. [65], [70].) 



Type, Omjchoteuthis (or Lestoteuthis?) roousta, Trans. Conn. Acad., v. pp. 2i6-250. 

 Moroteuthis Verrill, Trans. Conn. Acad., v, p. 393, Oct., 1831. 



After referring the type of Lestoteuthis to Gonatus (not of Gray), Pro- 

 fessor Steenstrup admits that the gigantic species, L. (?) robusta V., is the 

 representative of a distinct genus, to which he would restrict the name, 

 Lestoteuthis. 



But L. Kamtschatica was especially given by me as the type of Lesto- 

 teuthis, and the characters of the genus were derived entirely from that 

 species, while L. robusta was referred to it only with great doubt, owing 

 to the fact that its armature is almost unknown. Therefore, if Lesto- 

 teuthis hereafter becomes a complete synonym, it should be dropped, 

 when it cannot be kept for its special type-species. For the gigantic 

 species, I proposed (Amer. Journ. Sci., vol. xxii, p. 29S, Oct., 1881) a 

 new genus, Moroteuthis. 



This genus will have, as known characters: A long, narrow, thiu 

 pen, terminating posteriorly in a conical, hollow, many-ribbed, oblique 

 cone, which is inserted into the oblique, anterior end of a long, round, 

 tapering, acute, solid, cartilaginous terminal cone, composed of concen- 

 tric layers, and corresponding to the solid cone of Belcmnitcs iu position 

 and relation to the true pen; elliptical connective cartilages on the base 

 of the siphon; nuchal, longitudinal crests, three, much as in Omma- 

 strephes; eye-lids with a distinct sinus; caudal fin large, broad, spear- 

 shaped; ventral arms with smooth-rimmed suckers at the base. The 

 rest of the armature is unknown. 



Moroteuthis robusta is the only known species. 



Chiroteuthis lacertosa Verrill. (See p. [119].) 



Chiroteuthis Bonplandii ? Verrill, Trans. Conn. Acad., v, p. 299 (non Verany). 

 Chiroteuthis lacertosa Verrill, Tians. Conn. Acad., v, p. 408, pi. 56, figs. 1-1/, 



Nov., 1831. 



Plate XLVI, figs. 1-1/. 



A nearly complete male specimen of a Chiroteuthis, lacking only the 

 tentacular arms and the distal portion of the left ventral arm, was re- 

 ceived after the preceding pages were put in type. The stumps of the 

 tentacular arms, remaining, bear the same kind of unarmed sessile 

 suckers as did the arm described on p. [119], and figured on Plate 32, 

 figs. 1-16. It appears to be a new species, and is very distinct from C. 

 Bonplandii. The sessile arms are very large in proportion to the head 

 and body, and the ventral arms are much larger than any of the others. 

 The body is small, obconic, tapering rapidly backward to the origin of 

 the caudal fin, where it becomes very small, and continues to taper to 

 the very slender posterior end. The median dorsal angle of the mantle- 

 edge projects far forward, as a broad angular lobe; lateral angles 

 rounded and not prominent. Caudal fin relatively large, as compared 

 with the body, broad-ovate in outline, widest near the middle, tapering 

 backward to an acuminate, slender tip; very broadly rounded laterally, 



