CAPTURE OP SPIBULA ALIVE. 173 



Ainsi done, la question concernant Held est reglee. Eeste celle 

 de Beck. ... 



The Malacological Society of London is very greatly indebted to 

 Professor Dr. Jules Favre, as well as to Professor Strohl and 

 Professor Schinz, for all the indefatigable trouble they have taken 

 to assist in clearing up the date in question, which in many points 

 afiects molluscan nomenclature, and this Society would take the 

 present opportunity of returning to them its most sincere thanks. 



NOTE ON THE CAPTURE OF SPIBULA ALIVE. 

 (Prepared by the Editor, B. B. Woodward, F.L.S.) 



Bead 12th January, 1923. 

 The recent announcement of the capture of no less than ninety-five 

 living specimens of Spinda in the North Atlantic by the Danish 

 " Dana " Expedition seems to be a matter of sufficient importance 

 to warrant calling the attention of this Society specially to the 

 interesting fact. 



Hitherto only some five examples have been met with ; none 

 alive. The present successful captures are mentioned by the leader 

 of the expedition. Dr. J. Schmidt, in a communication to " Nature " 

 of the 9th of December last. 



The specimens were taken at depths of from 200 to 2,000 metres 

 (110 to 1,100 fathoms), and most abundantly at from 300 to 

 500 metres (165 to 275 fathoms), so that Spirula evidently is 

 bathypelagic, and only after death becomes mingled with the 

 surface fauna. Individuals were frequently kept alive for a day or 

 two in an aquarium on board the " Dana " and their habits observed. 



Left to itself in the tank, the Spirilla will remain suspended for 

 hours at the surface, or lower down in the water, always in a vertical 

 position, head downwards, and with arms more or less closed in. 

 The camerated shell acts as a float, and its tendency to lift the 

 animal to the surface is counteracted by the action of the fins and 

 the current of water from the backwardly directed funnel. Like 

 other cuttlefish, however, the Spirula often makes swift jerky 

 movements, dashing off in any direction suddenly. These rushes 

 are generally made backwards, the funnel for the moment being 

 forwardly directed. 



The growth of the shell increases with the growth of the animal, 

 roughly speaking there is a chamber for each millimetre in length 

 of the mantle. 



The bead-like organ at the posterior end, which has given rise to 

 much conjecture in the paste proves to be a light organ. It emits 

 a pale, yellowish-green light which will shine uninterruptedly for 

 hours together. 



The occurrence of Spirula in the North Atlantic, according to the 

 researches of the " Dana ", is confined to an area between 10 and 

 35 degrees N. Lat. on the western side, and from the Canary Islands 

 to north of the Cape Verde Island on the eastern side. 



