300 
A. E. Verrill — North American Cephalopods. 
Histioteuthis Collinsii Verrffl. 
Amer. Journ. Sci., xvii, p. 241, March, 1879; xix, p. 290, 1880. 
Tryon, Man. Conch., i. p. 166, 1879, (copied from preceding.) 
Terrill, this vol.. p. 234, Plate 22, Feb., 1879. 
Plate XXTT. Plate XXTII, figures 3-5. Plate XXXVII, figure 5. 
In addition to the original specimen, figured and described in Part 
I of tliis article (see p. 234), another specimen, represented by the 
jaws alone, has been received by the U. S. Fish Commission, from 
the Gloucester fisheries. (Lot 843.) 
Tliis was obtained on the Western Bank, off Nova Scotia. 
Another beak was dredged by the “ Fish Hawk,” at station 893, 
south of Newport, R. I., in 372 fathoms. 
These jaws agree well in size and all other characters, with those 
of the original specimen (PI. XXVII, fig. 4). 
Family. — D esmoteuthida: nov. 
For the reception of the genera, Desmoteuthis V. and Taonius St., 
as defined below, I propose to establish this new family, which has 
hitherto been confounded with Crunch! da. ? and Loligopsidw. 
Body much elongated, pointed posteriorly ; caudal fin narrow, 
terminal, mantle united to neck by a dorsal and two lateral muscular 
commissures. Pen lance-shaped, as long as the mantle, with a long 
narrow shaft ; blade incurved or hooded posteriorly. (Esophagus 
and intestine very much elongated. Nidamental glands large, sym- 
metrical. Eyes large, protuberant ; lids free and simple. No 
auditory crests. Siphon large, with neither internal valve nor dorsal 
bridle. Arms with depressed suckers. Tentacular arms with a 
well-developed club, bearing suckers. 
Desmoteuthis, gen. nov. 
Taonius (pars) Steenatrup, 1861. 
Body very long, tapering backward to a long, slender, acute cau- 
dal portion. Caudal fin long, narrow, tapering to a long acute tip. 
Anterior edge of the mantle united directly to the head, on the dor- 
sal side, by a commissure, so that there is no free edge, medially, 
and the surface is continuous, as in Sepiola / the dorsal commissure 
extends backward and diverges within the mantle; two additional 
muscular commissures unite the lateral inner surfaces of the mantle 
to the sides of the siphon. Eyes very large and prominent, with sim- 
ple circular lids. No aquiferous pores. Siphon large and promi- 
nent, with neither valve nor dorsal bridles, xirrns small and short, 
