252 A. E. Veri'ill — North American Cephalopods. 



hood or cone, which appears to be inserted into a solid terminal cone, 

 much as in L. robusta, but the cone is relatively shorter. The caudal 

 fin is large, rhomboidal, and acute posteriorly, as in the latter. The 

 tentacular-club bears two large, abruptly curved, claw-like hooks in 

 the middle, with numerous small suckers around them, and on the 

 proximal part. The length. of the head and body of the original 

 example w%as aboiit 28'=''^ (11 inches). 



Mr. Dall has described a small species (probably young) from the 

 coast of California, which may possibly belong to the same group. 

 He referred it doubtfully to Onychoteuthis (0. lobipennis Dall). 



Professor G. O. Sars, in his recent work (IVIollusca Reg. Arct. 

 Norvegiae, p. 377), also mentions a specimen oi Architeuthis (12 feet 

 long), cast ashore on the Norwegian coast, at Foldeufjord, in 1874. 

 He refers it doubtfully to " A. dux Steenstrup," (from the Kattegat) 

 by which we should understand A. monachus, without doubt. 



Note on Large Sjyecies of Octopus. 



Although this article relates specially to the gigantic species of 

 ten-armed Cephalopods, it may not be amiss to add a few lines in 

 respect to species of Octopus, that attain large dimensions. It is 

 certain, how^ever, that none of the latter that have hitherto been 

 examined by naturalists reach dimensions to be compared with those 

 of the species of Architeuthis, Onychoteuthis (or Lestoteuthis) rohusta 

 and their allies. 



The common Octopus of the west coast of North America {O. 

 punctatus Gabb) is one of the largest of its tribe, hitherto studied. 

 According to Mr. W. H. Dall,* it occurs abundantly at Sitka, and 

 there " reaches a length of sixteen feet or a radial spread of nearly 

 twenty-eight feet, but the whole mass is much smaller than that of 

 the decapodous cephalopods of lesser length. In the Octopus above 

 mentioned, the body would not exceed six inches in diameter and a 

 foot in length, and the arms attain an extreme tenuity toward their 

 tips." Dr. W. O. Ayres tells me that he has often seen this species 

 exposed for sale in the markets of San Francisco (where it is eaten 

 chiefly by the French), and that specimens with the arms 6 or 7 

 feet long are common. A smaller specimen, presented to the museum 

 of Yale College, was over 4 feet long, and weighed 14t] pounds. 



Prof. W. H. Brewer states that he has seen specimens in the San 

 Francisco markets which spread fourteen feet across the outstretched 

 arms. 



* American Naturalist, vii, p. 485, IS'JS. 



