332 Dv. G. Bennett on the Pearly NaiUiliis. 



on shore we trawled in 300 fathoms, and received among 6ther 

 things a tine specimen of the Pearly Nautilus {Nautilus 

 pompilius), which we kept living in a tub of water for some 

 time, in order to observe its movements and attitudes." 

 With reference to this interesting capture of a living Nau- 

 tilus, I very recently received a letter from Prof. Rolle- 

 ston, dated Oxford, 18th IMarch, 1875, in which he says, 

 " 1 have just been through a long journal of Moseley's, relating 

 all his experiences and observations on board the ' Challen- 

 ger,' between Sydney, Ncav Zealand, Fijis, and Cape York. 

 I have compared his account of the capture of his Nautilus 

 with your account of the capture of yours. The ' Challen- 

 ger's ' Nautilus appears to have been obtained from a depth 

 of 320 fathoms on a coral bottom ; and it must have been much 

 discomposed by the great differences in pressure to which its 

 upheaval subjected it ; but they got it up alive, however dis- 

 composed, and they had consequently the opportunity of 

 observing how it behaved. It propelled itself after the manner 

 of the Cephalopods, backwards, if that may be an allowable 

 Hibernicism ; but what would not have been expected was the 

 arrangement of its tentacles, each pair of which had a definite 

 and divergent direction — one pair, for example, looking directly 

 downwards, and two other pairs around the eyes being ar- 

 ranged so as to protect that organ as it were. This it was, 

 Moseley says in his Journal, which gave the most character- 

 istic appearance to the creature. But pleased as they all were 

 on board the ' Challenger ' with this novel sight, I can under- 

 stand that you had a feeling of still greater freshness when 

 you had, as the first of scientific observers, the animal in 

 your hands in 1829 ! How much was based upon the dis- 

 covery ! how much was cleared up by it !" 



The extraordinary depth at Avhich the ' Challenger's ' 

 specimen of the living Nautilus was obtained far exceeded that 

 which would have been anticipated both from previous ac- 

 counts and observed facts, the natives capturing them in their 

 traps at from 3 to 5 fathoms, when the experienced and keen 

 eye of the native would be able to descry them in their usual 

 position, clinging to some ])rominent ledge, with the shell 

 turned downwards on the coral reef's. It is more than pro- 

 bable that the Nautilus, not being considered a deep-sea mol- 

 lusk, Avas obtained by the trawl as it passed near the reef, 

 or when the creature was floating at a certain depth, but not 

 on the surface, as when my specimen was captured, and it 

 was thus brought up by the trawl-net. T was informed by an 

 observer on board the ' Challenger ' that the captured Nau- 

 tilus, as it swam about in the tub, propelled itself by ejecting 



