THE NAUTILUS. 



The Melanian illustrated (figs. 9, 10) will be noticed in a later 

 article. 



SOUTH AMERICAN NOTES. i 



BY DR. W'M. H. RUSH, U. S. N. 



I have been adding lately to my collections many specimens,, 

 nearly all the work having been done near Maldonado, but few spe- 

 cies being added, and they include the Unios Rhuacoica and 

 Charmana, a fine, large Anodonta, Azara labiata, Solecurtus Pla- 

 tensis ; and some fine, large, clean specimens of Mytilus Platensis,^ 

 taken from the flukes and shank of an old anchor grappled here. 

 This old anchor proved to be quite a blessing in disguise, for on it 

 were some fine specimens of Chiton Tehuelchus and C. Isabellei, and 

 a few large Ostrea Puelchana. In my dredgings since, I have found 

 a few more Chitons, but always on rocky bottoms and attached to 

 stones, so that while adding only a few of these, I have been adding 

 nothing to ray stock of the mud-lovers, such as Corbula, etc. 



Mr. Burnett, the British Vice-Consul here, while visiting the ship^ 

 told me that he had occasionally found in his garden a large black 

 slug. The day following proving pleasant found me on my way to 

 hunt the monster, but anxious as I was for the little game of hide 

 and seek, I found time on the way to loiter in a small patch of 

 native trees to hunt for my old friends, the Helix costellata d'Orb., 

 to add to the number of my accumulating exchanges. Finally I 

 found Mr. Burnett and we started for the old ruins of a house. I 

 did not anticipate much success when we entered the enclosure, for 

 the ruins were in the center of the town of Maldonado, whose popu- 

 lation is about twelve hundred, and the surroundings were 

 extremely dry, there having been no rain for months. However, 

 with willing hands we started in and after turning over many large 

 masses of brick, my companion said, after the exertion of moving 

 an extra heavy one allowed him to recover enough breath to speak, 

 " There is one of those large mail-coated insects I was speaking of," 

 I promptly said, " Hold on ! " and proceeded to turn out with my 



^The following extracts are from a letter received from our esteemed corre- 

 spondent, Dr. Wm. H. Rush, dated U. S. S. Yantic, Maldonado Bay, Uruguay, 

 March 7th, 1893. 



