A. E. Verrill — North American Cephalopoda. 
275 
edges, and a strong midrib, composed of the united marginal ribs of 
the anterior portion ; the thin edges are incurved, so as to give a 
canoe-shaped form to this portion, and near the tip, the edges unite 
beneath into a short hood-like tip. Anteriorly the lateral ribs show 
two grooves on the ventral side, and appear to be composed of three 
united ribs. 
The ground-color of a specimen taken by me, in 1870, at Eastport, 
Maine, when first caught, was pale bluish-white, with green, blue and 
yellow iridescence on the sides and lower surface; the whole body, 
head, and outer surfaces of arms and fins were more or less thickly 
covered with small, unequal, circular, orange-brown and dark brown 
spots, having creuulate margins ; these spots were continually chang- 
ing in size, from mere points, when they were nearly black, to spots 
l mm to l'5 mm in diameter, when they were pale orange-brown, becom- 
ing lighter colored as they expanded. On the lower side of body, 
head, and siphon the spots were more scattered, but the intervals were 
generally less than the diameter of the spots. On the upper side the 
spots were much crowded and in different planes, with the edges often 
overlapping, thus increasing the variety of the tints. Along the mid- 
dle of the back the ground-color was pale flesh-color, with a distinct 
median dorsal band, along which the spots were more crowded and 
tinged with green, in fine specks. Above each eye there was a broad 
lunate spot of light purplish red, with smaller and much crowded 
brown spots. The upper surface of the head was deeply colored by 
the brown spots, which were here larger, darker, and more crowded 
than elsewhere, and situated in several strata. The under sides of the 
arms and fins were colored like the body, except that the spots were 
smaller and much less numerous. The suckers were pure white. The 
eyes were dark, blue-black, surrounded by an iridescent border. 
The colors change constantly, when living or recently dead, by 
means of the continual contraction and dilation of the chromato- 
phores. The different tints pass over the surface like blushes. 
In specimens recently preserved in alcohol, the same pattern of 
coloration is usually visible. The dark dorsal band on the body and 
head, and the dark patches above the eyes, as well as smaller dark 
patches in front of the eyes, can be plainly seen. In these darker 
parts the chromatophores are much crowded, and have a purplish 
brown color, varying to chocolate-brown in specimens longer pre- 
served. On other parts of the body the chromatophores are more 
scattered and usually reddish brown in color, with a circular or ellip- 
tical outline ; when expanded, the larger ones are about l mm in diam- 
Trans. Conn. Acad.. Vol. V. 34 June, 1880. 
