592 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [90] 
The oceanic mollusca are numerous in the Gulf Stream, even as 
far north as our explorations extended, though doubtless far less abun- 
dant than farther south. More than twenty-five species of Pteropods 
occur living in the region explored, and many of them were taken in 
the surface nets, though other species were caught only in the trawl- 
wings, which they probably entered, in most cases, when the trawl was 
at or near the surface. Most of these Pteropods are very delicate and 
beautiful forms, with glassy or amber-like transparent shells of various 
shapes. Those taken in 1883 are all enumerated in the general list of 
mollusca (p. 70). 
At least a dozen species of the curious Heteropods have also been 
taken by usin the same region. The most abundant of these are the flat, 
spiral, glassy, and broadly-keeled shells of several species of Atlanta 
(figs. 110,111). Two transparent naked species, belonging to Firola 
(fig. 112) and Firoloides are not uncommon, and Carinaria, with its 
glassy, slipper-like shell, is sometimes taken. Several species of naked 
mollusks (Nudibranchiata) also occur in the same Tegion. One of the 
largest and most frequent of these is the Scyllea Edwardsii V. (fig. 109), 
which clings to the floating fucus and sargassum, and imitates in a mar- 
velous manner the colors, forms, and ornamentation of these sea-weeds. 
Another large and interesting species (Fiona nobilis) has been found 
several times among the brown and yellow stems of barnacles (Lepas) 
attached to floating timber. It deposits its eggs in inverted cup-shaped, 
or funnel-shaped, clusters, attached by a little pedicel at the small end. 
A very curious and beautiful free-swimming species (Glaucus marga- 
ritaceus, figs. 113, a, b) was taken in 1884. It is bright blue and silvery 
in life. 
Some of the species of Cephalopods are taken alive at the surface, 
but most of them are difficult to capture. One living specimen of the 
paper-nautilus (Argonauta argo, figs. 63, a, b) was caught in 1882 in a 
hand-net by Dr. Kite, on the ‘Fish Hawk.” The most abundant Gulf 
Stream species is Sthenoteuthis Bartramii, known as the “ flying squid,” 
because it sometimes shoots out of the water with such force as to fall 
upon the decks of vessels. Very large specimens of this were caught off 
Cape Hatteras at the surface, and during the last season (1884) they were 
taken in large numbers and of large size off Martha’s Vineyard by jigging 
them with hooks after attracting them to the side of the steamer by 
an electric light lowered to the surface of the water. It was not pre- 
viously known north of Cape Hatteras. A small squid, furnished with 
sharp claws on its long arms (Onychia agilis V.), was also taken at the 
surface last summer. Many dead and more or less mutilated examples 
of the great, gelatinous, Octopus-like Alloposus mollis V. were several 
times observed floating at the surface, and sometimes also large speci- 
mens of a curious squid (Calliteuthis reversa V.). Both of these are 
probably true deep-sea species, which only rise to the surface when 
dead or disabled. 
