SEPIAD.E. CUTTLE. 253 



our Lias.* Mr. A. E. Verrill thinks it -probable that 

 only three distinct forms exist amongst the large 

 Newfoundland specimens of Architeuthis, and two of 

 these may be merely the males and females of one 

 species. The Grand Banks specimen (Architeuthis 

 princeps) was found floating on the surface, on the 

 Grand Banks, Newfoundland, October 1871, bv Cap- 

 tain Campbell, of the Schooner ' B. D. Hoskins/ of 

 Gloucester, Mass. The body measured fifteen feefc in 

 length, four feet eight inches in circumference. The 

 arms were mutilated, but the portions remaining were 

 estimated to be nine or ten feet long, and twenty-two 

 inches in circumference, two being shorter than the 

 rest. It was estimated to weigh 2000 Ibs. The 

 "Thimble Tickle" specimen was captured on the 2nd 

 November, 1878, by Stephen Sherring, a fisherman, 

 who was out in a boat with two other men, and observed 

 some bulky object not far from shore, and they supposed 

 it to be a portion of a wreck, and rowed towards it. 

 To their horror they found themselves close to a huge 

 fish, having large glassy eyes, which was making 

 desperate efforts to escape, and churning the water 

 into foam by the movement of its immense arms and 

 tail. It was aground, and the tide was ebbing. From 

 the funnel at the back of its head it was ejecting large 

 volumes of water, this being its method of moving 

 backwards, the force of the stream, by the reaction of 

 the surrounding medium, driving it in the required 

 direction. At times the water from the siphon was as 

 black as ink. Finding the monster partially disabled, 

 the fishermen plucked up courage enough to throw the 

 grapnel of their bout, the sharp flukes of which, having 

 * ' Intellectual Observer,' vol. -xi. p. 165. 



