A. E. Verrill — North American Gephalopods. 



421 



inches) ; of largest suckers, 10'""' ('38 of an inch). It was measured 

 while living. 



The body, when living, was short and broad, and so soft and gel- 

 atinous that, when out of water, it could not retain its natural form. 

 When placed in a large pan, it flattened out and filled up the vessel, 

 like a mass of rather stifi" jelly. Color, in life, pale bluish white, 

 speckled with rusty orange-brown chromatophores ; inner surfaces of 

 arms dark purplish brown; suckers white. 



Two detached and somewhat mutilated arms, with portions of a 

 third arm and of the basal web, of a large specimen, formerly de- 

 scribed by me as Octopus f sp., but which I now refer to this species, 

 were taken by Mr. Agassiz, on the "Blake," in 1880, at station 336, 

 N. lat. 38° 21' 50", W. long. VS" 32', in 197 fathoms. 



The largest of these arms is 420""" long and 86"'"' In-oad. The 

 suckers are large, prominent, subglobular, with a contracted aperture, 

 and having a thin membrane around the outer margin. They form 

 two alternating, rather distant rows, except near the base, where 

 several that are somewhat smaller than those farther out, stand nearly 

 in one row, with wide spaces between them. Diameter of largest 

 suckers, 9 to 11'""'; distance between their centers, 20 to 35'"'". Color, 

 dark purple. (PI. LI, tig. 3.) 



Smaller specimens were taken by us, this season, off Martha's 

 Vineyard, in 310 to 715 fathoms; stations 938, 952, 953, 



Alloposus mollis. — Additional specimens. 



336 



937 

 938 

 952 

 953 

 994 



Locality. 



Off Delaioare Bay. 

 38° 2i' 50"; 73° 32' 



Off Martha's Vineyard. 

 8. bv E. i E. 102 m. from Gay Head, . 

 S. by E. i E. TOO m. from Gay Head, . 



S. i E. 87^ m. from Gay Head, 



S. \ E. 9U m. from Gay Head 



S.3.W. i W. 1 04i- m. from Gay Head, . 



u. s. p. c. 



Specimens. 

 No. Sex. 



1 1. frag. 



11.2 

 1 J- 



1 ]••? 

 1 1.2 



Octopus Bairdii Verrill. (See p. 368.) 



Numerous additional specimens of this species were dredged off 

 Martha's Vineyard, in 120 to 410 fathoms, by the U. S. Fish Com- 

 mission, this season. 



