Dr. G. Bennett on the Pearly Nautilus. 331 



of the last four ankylosed cervical vertebrge ; this is deepest 

 at the most posterior. 



The scapula is somewhat intermediate in tjpe between that 

 of Bxlcena and Balcenoptera, more particularly B. Sihhaldi. 



Professor Capellini expresses a strong belief that this whale 

 came from the southern seas, not only from its australoid cha- 

 racters, but also on account of the southern species of para- 

 sites on its body, and from its stomach being empty and 

 wrinkled through long fasting {aggrinzito per luago digiuno), 

 showing that it had wandered far from its natural feeding 

 place. As every rule has exceptions, so, remarks the Italian 

 Professor, we may believe that these great vertebrates, with 

 their powerful and rapid means of locomotion, may, though as 

 a rule very local in their habitat, under exceptional circum- 

 stances, pass over from their side of the equator and invade 

 the seas of the opposite hemisphere. The Tarentine whale 

 offers a "• splendid example " of this fact. 



The monograph is accompanied by two plates, representing 

 the bones described in the text, and by a coloured engraving 

 of the whale from a water-colour taken after its capture by 

 Mr. Hueber. 



I understand that Professor Van Beneden has recently sug- 

 gested that the whale above described is Balceiia biscaijensis. 



XLII. — Notes on the Pearly Nautilus (Nautilus pompilius). 

 By George Bennett, M.D., F.L.S.* 



In the Address to the Biological Section of the British Asso- 

 ciation by J. Gwyn Jeffreys, LL.D., F.R.S., he says, " But 

 Nautilus and Spirula are believed by some to be deep-water 

 forms. This must be a mistake. Although the animal of 

 that common s])ecies Nautilus jwinpilius has rarely been met 

 with, the shells are often found on beaches in the Indian 

 Ocean and South Pacific ; and I am not aware of any instance 

 of a deep-water mollusk being cast on shore." In this re- 

 mark I perfectly agree, and I offer the following notes con- 

 firmatory of my opinion. In 'Nature' (11th Feb. 1875) 

 there is a paper entitled " News from the ' Challenger,' " in 

 which it is mentioned, " On the 24th of July we stopped off 

 Matuka Island and landed a party of surveyors and natura- 

 lists ; and while they were taking observations and exploring 



* Read at the Plyniouth meeting of the British Association, and com- 

 niunicfited bv the aiitlior. 



