242 
A. E. Verrill — North American Cephalopods. 
together. The comparative distances between the suckers through- 
out the whole length in each row are as follows: — between the first 
and second sucker, 1 ^ inch; halfway up the arm, 1 inch; at three 
quarters of the entire length, ^ inch; and within six inches of the 
distal extremity, \ inch. The relative diameters of the suckers at 
similar distances are: — at the base, extreme outside measurement £ 
inch, inside measurement of corneous ring i inch ; and, those suckers 
a little past the first few being the largest, halfway down \ inch 
outside and 4- inch inside measurement, at three quarters length £ 
inch, and at 6 inches from the extreme point £ inch outside measure- 
ment, gradually diminishing from here to the size of a pin’s head. 
The shape and structure of the suckers upon this British-Museum 
specimen agree with those of Omniastrephes toclarus as given by 
D’Orbigny, corresponding also with those figured by Harting, 
referred by him to the same species, and anticipated by the same 
authority to be also identical with Prof. Steenstrup’s Architeuthis 
dux. More minutely they may be described as hemispherical in 
shape, the stalk or peduncle being attached laterally at the base of 
the hemisphere, the point of insertion of the same in the cup being 
marked by a conspicuous pit-like depression. The horny ring is 
obliquely set, and much deeper at the side opposite the insertion of 
the stalk; the inner margin is serrated; and in most examples the 
serratures bordering the deeper side are considerably larger than in 
the other portions of the circumference ; in some instances the 
serratures, except at the particular point mentioned, are altogether 
aborted, having the inner margin of the ring quite smooth; in other 
examples, and more especially among the larger suckers, the teeth 
or serratures are equal or subequal. The average number of the 
teeth of the largest rings is twenty.” 
Mr. Kent, unfortunately, does not state to which pair this arm belongs. 
But from his description, it is, perhaps, a ventral arm. It evidently 
belongs to an Architeuthis , and is very near to our A. princeps. 
Lieut. Bouyer, of the French steamer ‘ Alecton,’ encountered a 
huge cephalopod, in November, 1860, between Madeira and Teneritfe. 
Its body was estimated to be between 15 and 18 feet in length. A 
long and laborious attempt was made to capture it, and a slipnoose 
was passed around the body, but on attempting to hoist it on board 
the rope cut through the soft flesh and the tail alone was secured. 
A sketch of the animal was made by one of the officers, and Messi’s. 
Crosse and Fischer* have, from this figure and the narrative of the 
* Journal de Conchyliologie, 3d ser., vol. ii, p. 138, 1862. See also Tryon's Manual 
of Conchology, vol. i, p. 87, Plate 59, 1879 (figure copied from the original). 
