228 A. E. Verrill — N'orth Americati Cephalopods. 



of alse, 6*2; breadth of palatine, 17*5. Total length of lower man- 

 dible, 23""" ; height, mentuni to inner end of alae, 22 ; tip to notch, 

 7'8 ; tip to end of mentum, 8*2 ; tip to dorsal end of gnlar, 16 ; trans- 

 verse breadth at alar teeth, 7""". (See Plate XXVI). 



The odontophore is similar to that of S. megaptera, but the lateral 

 denticles of the median and inner lateral teeth are relatively shorter, 

 and these, with some other differences, render it doubtful whether 

 this beak can belong to that species. The odontophore is 4™"' broad ; 

 the teeth are all sharp, rather slender, pointed, and pale amber- 

 color. A slight, snioothish, marginal ridge borders the dentigerous 

 zone on each side, but is scarcely divided into distinct plates. The 

 median teeth have three sharp, rather slender denticles, the median 

 about a third longer than the lateral ; the inner lateral teeth have a 

 long point, with the acute outer denticle much shorter ; the teeth of 

 both outer rows are long, considerably incurved, acute, the outer ones 

 the more slender. 



Sthenoteuthis pteropus Yerriii. 



Ommasirephes ptc')'opus Steenstrup ? 



Plate XXVI. 



A large squid, 74*8'^"^ (29"5 inches) long from tail to tip of longest 

 sessile arms, similar in size and form to the preceding, and closely 

 allied to it, has been sent to me by Mr. G. Brown Goode, who col- 

 lected it at Bermuda. It is probably the Omniastrephes pteropus 

 of Steenstrup, but I have seen no full description of the latter, and 

 figures only of the mandibles. 



Our specimen is entire, excej)t that it has lost the ' clubs' of the 

 tentacular-arms. It is in fair condition, though considerably con- 

 tracted by long ^^reservation in too strong alcohol. The head, 

 however, has been pulled out from the mantle to an uiuiatural extent, 

 so as to increase the total length from 3 to 4'''", at least. The ventral 

 arms do not show any of the sexual modifications characteristic of the 

 male squids, and, therefore, it is doubtless a female. 



Most of the measurements are given in the table with those of S. 

 megaptera j some of the more general are as follows : length from end 

 of body to tip of dorsal arms, GG'S"" (27*5 inches) ; to edge of mantle, 

 dorsally, 37-5^'" (14-75 inches) ; to base of dorsal arms, 52^'" (20-5 

 inches) ; to center of eye, 47^^'" ; to lateral insertion of fin, length, 17"" 

 (6-75 inches) ; to outer angle of fin, along posterior edge, 18-4'^™ (7"25 

 inches); breadth of fins transversely, 28'5"" (11*25 inches); outer 

 angle to lateral insertion, along front edge, 14"" (5*6 inches); between 



