[441] INVERTEBRATE ANIMALS OF VINEYARD SOUND, ETC. 147 



found in great abundance off Falmouth, on a shelly and weedy bottom, 

 as already mentioned, (p. 416 ;) and near New Haven light-house large 

 clusters, apparently of the same species, were found by Professer Todd, 

 earlier in the season, (June 19.) Some of these masses were six or eight 

 inches in diameter, consisting of hundreds of capsules, like fig. 102, 

 each of which is usually three or four inches long and contains numer 

 ous eggs. These last contained embryos in different stages of devel 

 opment, two of which are represented in Plate XX, figs. 103, 104. Even 

 at this early period some of the pigment vesicles are already developed 

 in the mantle and arms, and during life, if examined under the micro 

 scope, these orange and purple vesicles may be seen to rapidly contract 

 and expand and change colors, as in the adult, only the phenomena may 

 be more clearly seen, owing to the greater transparency of the skin in 

 the embryos, They are, therefore, beautiful objects to observe under 

 the microscope. At this stage of development the eyes were brown. 

 In these embryos the yolk is finally absorbed through the mouth, which 

 corresponds, therefore, in this respect, to an &quot; umbilicus.&quot; The more 

 advanced of these embryos (fig. 103) were capable of swimming about, 

 when removed from the eggs, by means of the jets of water from the 

 siphon. 



Another species, Loligo pallida V., (Plate XX, figs. 101, lOla,) occurs 

 abundantly, in autumn, in the western part of Long Island Sound, 

 from whence Robert Benner, esq., has sent me numerous speci 

 mens. This is a pale, translucent, gelatinous-looking species, with much 

 fewer spots than usual, even on the back, and is nearly white beneath- 

 It is a stout species, commonly five or six inches long, exclusive of the 

 arms, but grows considerably larger than that. It is often taken in the 

 seines in large numbers with menhaden, upon which it probably feeds. 

 These squids are eagerly devoured, even when full grown, by many of 

 the larger fishes, such as blue-fish, black-bass, striped-bass, &c. When 

 young they are preyed upon by a still larger variety of fishes, as well 

 as by the jelly-fishes, &c. 



Another species of &quot; squid,&quot; Ommastrephes illecebrosa, has been recorded 

 from Greenport, Long Island, by Mr. Sanderson Smith, but I have not met 

 with it myself, south of Cape Cod. It is common in Massachusetts Bay 

 and very abundant in the Bay of Fundy. Messrs. S. I. Smith and Oscar 

 Harger observed it at Proviucetown, Massachusetts, among the wharves^ 

 in large numbers, July 28, engaged in capturing and devouring the 

 young mackerel, which were swimming about in &quot; schools,&quot; and at that 

 time were about four or five inches long. In attacking the mackerel they 

 would suddenly dart backward among the fish with the velocity of an 

 arrow, and as suddenly turn obliquely to the right or left and seize a fish, 

 which was almost instantly killed by a bite in the back of the neck with 

 the sharp beaks. The bite was always made in the same place, cut 

 ting out a triangular piece of flesh, and was deep enough to penetrate 

 to the spinal cord. The attacks were not always successful, and were 



