144 THE NAUTILUS. 



Sepia Hercules n. sp. 



Shell having the general form of that of S. esculenta Hoyle but 

 more convex ventrally ; chitinous margin narrow ; dorsal surface 

 tuberculate-rugose as in escxdenta, but more coarsely so, the posterior 

 part having the tubercles very deeply separated, flat-topped, and 

 leaning posteriorly ; dorsal surface evenly rounded, with no trace of 

 a median longitudinal rib. Ventral surface as in esculenta, but the 

 striation is much closer although the shell is triple the size. Last loc- 

 ulus has an index of 22. Inner cone well developed, its limbs aris- 

 ing about one-third the length of the shell from the posterior end, 

 gradually rising along the sides, posteriorly reflexed and appressed 

 on the outer cone, leaving below a narrow small cavity. The ante- 

 rior edge of the inner cone does not form a shelf across the posterior 

 €nd of the outer cone as is the case in esculenta, and the cavity is 

 much smaller, shallower and narrower than in a specimen of esculenta 

 155 mill, in length. Spine very stout, conical, its root excavated 

 ventrally. 



Length 425 mill.; greatest breadth 160 mill. ; length of spine 19 

 mill. 



This species is the giantof the genus, tbeshell being about 16iinches 

 long. It is allied to S. esculenta Hoyle, but difiers as above indicated. 

 The dorsal slope does not descend abruptly to the spine as in that spe- 

 cies. Of S. esculenta a good many specimens are before me collected 

 by Mr. Stearns. They agree well with the " Challenger " specimens. 

 The size of esculenta is moderately constant, those seen by Hoyle, 

 Appelloff and myself being from 155 to 163 mill, long (about 6i 

 inches). In color, S. Hercules is white in the middle, faint pink 

 at the sides ; whitish beneath. 



A second specimen from the Loo Choo Is. exhibits the same char- 

 acters throughout. 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



The Rev. Geo. W. Taylor reports the appearance of Paludina 

 Japonica Mart, in the Chinese Market at Victoria, B. C. These 

 Mollusks are accounted dainties by the Chinese and are retailed to 

 them at 25 cents a pound. The occurrence of this species in the San 

 Francisco markets was noted by Mr. W. M. Wood in the Nautilus, 

 Vol. V, p. 114. 



