CHE NAUTILUS. 15 



Let me add notes on the fifty-five : IJtorina, Nassa, Ilyanassa, 

 Mytilus, Mya, Tofteuia, and a few others are general in distribution. 

 Many others are limited, as follows : Ostrea, Venus, UrosaJpinx, 

 Bittiiim, Syrofypus, etc., common south of Cape Cod, but rare or 

 wanting to the north. Again, Bncciimm, Lunatia, Cyprina, and 

 others should be sought in Maine. Many shells are found abun- 

 dantly in limited portions of the coast. Acmaea testudinalis, common 

 at Eastport, is scarce even in other parts of Maine. Chiton albus 

 and niarmoreus, with Margarita groenlandica, must be gathered at 

 extreme tides in the Bay of Fundy. To be sure they occur else- 

 where, but they are small and not abundant. The harvest season 

 for Lunatia and Cyprina is after certain storms at Old Orchard. 

 Sometimes these occur once or twice in a winter, or a year or more 

 may pass without the harvest, but when they roll in they are very 

 abundant. Dredging has an element of luck. One haul in the 

 Penobscot Bay gave Nucula proxima enough for some years of ex- 

 changing. Pecten magellanicus is abundant in small areas, but it is 

 easy to miss the spot. Another fact is the best region. Buccinum 

 is common at Eastport, but small. The finest specimens are from 

 Casco Bay. Yet other things, like Limpets and Chitons are at their 

 best in Fundy waters. 



The New England shells are very much in demand, but the lack 

 of stock compels one to send frequent regrets. There is an amusing 

 side to the work. One well-disposed friend asked for a dozen Pecten 

 islandicm ; I never saw a dozen. Prof. Verrill tells me that the 

 government dredgings only yielded three or four in a summer. 



It must be understood by the readers of this article that I speak 

 of my own experience. Some forms that have not been found abun- 

 dantly by me may be found in quantities at times, yet I think one 

 may form an estimate of the difficulties we meet in New Enf^land. 



NOTES ON THE GIANT LIMAS. 



BY WMLLIAM HEALEY DAl.L. 



Tlie reception of a specimen of Lima goUath Sowerby (188.3) the 

 other day led to comparisons of and annotations on the great deep- 

 water species. The dean of this assembly is the well-known Lima 



