238 A. E. Verrill — North American Cephalopods. 



Taken from the stomach of Alepidosaurus ferox^ lat. 42° 49', long. 

 62° 57', off Nova Scotia, by Capt. J. W. Collins and crew of the 

 schooner " Mai'ion," 1879. 



All parts back of the eyes are absent, the eyes are mutilated, but 

 the specimen is otherwise in excellent preservation, even the web 

 and suckers being nearly uninjured. 



Ohservations on some of the more Important specimens described 

 from other localities. 



We are largely indebted to Professor Steenstrup and to Dr. Harting 

 for our knoAvledge of the specimens preserved in European museums, 

 or cast ashore on the European coasts. Professor Steenstrup* has 

 given accounts, compiled from contemporary documents, of a speci- 

 men taken at MalmO, Sweden, about 1546 or 1549, and of two speci- 

 mens of huge cephalopods cast ashore at Iceland, in 1 639 and Nov. or 

 Dec, 1790. 



The specimen of 1790, described in the MSS. of Svend Paulsen, 

 1792, had tentacles 3 fathoms long; the body (with head) was 3| 

 fathoms long. That of 1639, described in Olafsens og Povelsens 

 Reise til Island, ii, 716, was 4 to 5 fathoms long. 



In the article published in 1857, he also briefly mentioned a speci- 

 men cast ashore at Jutland, Dec, 1853, of which the jaws were pre- 

 served, and on which he then based the species Archittuthis mona- 

 chus ; and another specimen, which he named Architeuthis dux\ taken 

 by Capt. Vilh. Hygom, in the western Atlantic. He has also since 

 described and figuredf the jaws of the specimen of Architeuthis 

 monachus^ obtained at Jutland, in Dec, 1853. 



In the same memoir, of which I have seen only the first part, there 

 are references to a description and figures of ^ A. Titan^ obtained in 

 1855, by Capt. Hygom, in N. lat. 31°, W. long. 76°. The latter 

 specimen appears to be the same as that referred to in 1 856, as A. 



* Meddelelse om tvende Kiasmpestore Blfeksprutter, opdrevne 1639 og 1790 ved 

 Islands Kyst, og om nogle andre nordiske Dyr. Forhandlinger Skandinaviske Natur- 

 forskeres, v, pp. 950-957, 1847, Copenhagen, 1849. 



Oplysninger om Atlanter colossale Blsekspr utter B'orhandlinger, Skami Natiirf., 1856, 

 vii, p. 1 82, Christianla, 1857. Cephalopodum, qui in Museis Hafn. inveniuntur, Kjo- 

 benhavn Ovorsigt., 1861, pp. 69, 165. 



f In a paper of which I have seen some proof-sheets, given by him to Dr. Packard, 

 entitled " Spolia Atlantica." This memoir has not been published. The plate (1) that 

 I have seen is marked " Vid. Selsk. Skrifter, V. llajkke, naturv. og mathera. Afd. iv 

 Bind;" and there are references to three other plates, illustrating ^A, Titan,'' etc. 



