A. E. Verrill — North American Cephalopods. 387 



clianged in order to admit it into either of Ids groups. The existence 

 of eight rows of suckers in '•Illex' seems to be due merely to the crowd- 

 ing togetlier of the ordinary four rows ; nor can we attach much im- 

 portance to the superficial furrows in the siphon-groove. Therefore, 

 my own opinion still is that Illex and Todarodes should be reunited, 

 and should retain the name Ommastrephes, in a restricted sense. 

 The absence of connective suckers and tubercles on the tentacular 

 arms will be tlie most important diagnostic character to distinguish 

 it from Sthenoteuthis and Architeuthis. 



In this paper, Professor Steenstrup gives figures (cuts) Avhich, with 

 the descriptive remarks, will, at last, enable others to identify his ^S'. 

 pterojms with more certainty. He has given diagramatic cuts of the 

 base of the tentacular clubs, showing the arrangement of the con- 

 nective suckers and tubercles of S. pteropus^ S. Bartramii, S. gigas, 

 S. pelaglcus, S. onalaniensis, and Dosidicus Eschrichtii [p. 11], and 

 cuts [p. 9], showing the siphonal grooves of Hthenoteuthis pteropus^ S. 

 Bartramii, S. pacifictis, Ommastrephes sagittatus (="0. todariis'''), 

 and 0. Coindetii (="(?, sagittatus,'''^ auth.). On pp. 19 and 20 he 

 has given a synoptical table of the several genera that he recognizes 

 in this group, which he names, Ommatostephini (= Ommastrephidm 

 Gill, Tryon, Verrill). On plate 3, he figures '■'■Illex Coindetii^'' fe- 

 male, with the gill-cavity opened, showing a large cluster of sperma- 

 tophores attached to the inner surface of the mantle, behind the base 

 of the gill, and a smaller one, in front of the gill. 



In the second article referred to. Professor Steenstrup discusses 

 the genus Sthenoteuthis versus '■'■ OmmajtostrephesP He recognizes 

 the identity of Sthenoteuthis and his restricted genus Ovtrnato- 

 strephes, as well as the priority of date of the former. He also refers 

 to S. megaptera, as " Ominatostrephes meg apteral 



Lestoteuthis^ Ghelote%itMs=. Gonatus Steenst. (non Gray). 



The second of Professor Steenstrup's papers contains a detailed 

 discussion of Gonatus Fahricii Steenst., with which he also unites 

 Onychoteuthis Kamtschatica Midd., the type-species of my genus 

 Lestotenthis (see p. 250). He may be correct in uniting these 

 forms, for he states that he has received specimens that agi'ee with 

 Gonatus Fahricii, from the North Pacific* Moreover, taking the 

 characters of the genus Gonatus, as ')iov) andei'stood, by Professor 



* The figures, however, show differences in the form of the pen and caudal fin. 

 which, if correct, may still indicate specific differences. 

 Trans. Conn. Acad., Vol. V. 46 Octorek, 1881. 



