ZOOLOGY. 435 



Two paper-nautilus shells were found on the coast of Flor- 

 ida in the winter of 1877-8, and in the preceding winter 

 one was found with the animal entire, besides another empty 

 shell. Rev. S. Lockwood has noticed the occurrence of this 

 animal on the New Jersey shore. This species, Argonauta 

 argo Linn., inhabits the Mediterranean Sea, and is undoubt- 

 edly a waif from the eastern shores of the Middle Atlantic. 



A writer in the American Naturalist calls attention to one 

 mode of the distribution of fresh-water mussels. Mr. Darwin 

 conjectured that the young of fresh-water mussels, by being 

 attached to pond-weeds, may be transferred by birds from 

 one place to another. Mr. R. E. Call has observed this, and 

 states that it is a commonly observed fact that Limncece and 

 Planorbes do attach themselves to aquatic plants, and are 

 carried about by birds. He quotes the case observed by Mr. 

 Arthur F. Gray, of Danversport, Mass., who has in his col- 

 lection the foot of a water-fowl to which is attached a bi- 

 valve shell, the bird having been caught and firmly held by 

 the mollusk. A newspaper lately contained the statement 

 that a bird was found held prisoner by a bivalve on the 

 flats. Only by some such method as this are we able to 

 account for certain facts in the dispersion of fresh -water 

 shells. 



Another writer notices the curious fact that at a point near 

 White House Landing, Va., on the Pamunky River, where 

 fresh-water mussels (Unio) abound, it has been found impos- 

 sible to raise ducks, for the reason that at low water the 

 ducklings w r ere liable to be caught by the mussels and held 

 until drowned by the rising tide. This story was afterwards 

 confirmed by the Pamunky Indians, who live on an island be- 

 low White House, and who, with every facility for raising 

 large quantities of ducks, do not keep them. 



Another brochure of Barrande's great work on the fossil 

 Cephalopods of Bohemia has just been received. It is ex- 

 tracted from the forthcoming volume (II., text 5) of the quar- 

 to series of w r orks entitled " Systeme Silurien du Centre de la 

 Boheme," which has made the name of Joachim Barrande so 

 distinguished as a paleontologist. In this brochure, chapter 

 xvii. treats of the initial or embryonic part of the shell of 

 fossil Cephalopods, with general observations; chapter xviii. 

 discusses the vertical distribution of Cephalopods in all pa- 



