412 A. E. Verrill — North American Cephalopods. 



thirds as broad as the diameter of the arm, and from close to the 

 base of the arni to the distal fourth they are separated by spaces 

 mostly equal to about twice their diameter; distally they are less 

 numerous. The tentacular club is well developed, W'ith a broad 

 marginal membrane along each side, having scalloped or notched 

 edges. The club terminates in an ovate, subacute, dark purple, 

 hollow organ, with its oj)ening on the outer side of the ai'm. The 

 suckers (Plate LV, fig. 5) are regularly arranged in four rows. The 

 stalk is long, with a dark purple, fluted summit, surmounted by a 

 very slender pedicel bearing the sucker, wliich is hooded, Avith a 

 lateral opening ; the horny ring bears several slender, sharp teeth on 

 the outer side, the central one being much the longest ;* the soft rim 

 of the sucker is covered with many rows of small scales, the inner 

 ones with acute tips. The lateral suckers do not alternate with the 

 median, but the two arise close together, opposite each other, and in 

 line with the teeth on the edge of the marginal membrane. The 

 inner surface of the club is specked with brown chromatophores, and 

 the marginal membranes are crossed by brown lines, corresponding 

 to the notches in their edges. 



Total length, to end of ventral arms, 194™"^; to end of third pair, 

 150; to end of dorsal arms, 127; tail to dorsal mantle edge, 59; to 

 base of dorsal arms, 86 ; length of dorsal arms, 41 ; of second pair, 56 ; 

 of third pair, 69 ; of ventral, 110 ; of tentacular arms, 180 ; of club, 

 1 7 ; breadth of club, 5 ; length of caudal fin, 27 ; its greatest breadth, 

 24 ; of dorsal arms, 4 ; of third pair, 5 ; of ventral arms, 8 ; of bases 

 of tentacular arms, 1*5 ; diameter of largest suckers of lateral arms, 1. 



This species differs widely from C. Bonplandii in the sessile arms, 

 etc. It is much more nearly related to C. Veranyi, from which it 

 differs decidedly in the pen; in the suckers; and in the caudal fin, if 

 these parts are correctly described and figured, for the latter. 



Desmoteuthis tenera, sp. nov. 



Plate LV, figures 2-2d. Plate LVI, figure 3. 

 Two small, but perfect, specimens of this species were taken in the 

 "trawl-wings"f this season, at station 952, in -388 fathoms. 



* The arm, figured on PI. XLVII, figs. 1-1 &, does not agree with tliis, and may 

 belong to a different species ; but the difference in its suckers may be due to injury. 



f The "trawl-wings," which were first invented and used by the U. S. Fish Com- 

 mission, this summer, consist of fine nets attaclied to a support extending out from 

 each end of the trawl-beam. When in use they are about two feet above the sea-bot- 

 tom. Tliey are provided with an interior funnel-shaped net to prevent the escape of 

 animals captured. They have been of great value to us for capturing, and retaining in 



