592 REPOET OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [90] 



The oceanic moUusca are numerous in the Gulf Stream, even as L 

 far north as our explorations extended, though doubtless far less abun- 

 dant than farther south. More than twenty-five species of Pteropods 

 occur living in the region explored, and many of them were taken in 

 the surface nets, though other species were caught only in the trawl- 

 wings, which they probably entered, in most cases, when the trawl was 

 at or near the surface. Most of these Pteroi^ods are very delicate and 

 beautiful forms, with glassy or amber-like transparent shells of various 

 iShajies. Those taken iu 1883 are all enumerated in the general list of 

 mollusca (p. 70). 



At least a dozen species of the curious Heteropods have also been 

 taken by us in the same region. The most abundant of these are the flat, 

 spiral, glassy, and broadly-keeled shells of several species of Atlanta 

 (figs. 110, 111). Two transparent naked species, belonging to Firola 

 (fig. 112) and Firoloides are not uncommon, and Carinaria, with its 

 glassy, slipper-like shell, is sometimes taken. Several species of naked 

 j^r' mollusks (Nudibranchiata) also occur in the same region. One of the 

 '"^ largest and most frequent of these is the Scylloea Edwardsii V. (fig. 109), 

 which clings to the floating fucus and sargassum, and imitates in a mar- 

 velous manner the colors, forms, and ornamentation of these sea- weeds. 

 Another large and interesting species {Fiona noMJis) has been found 

 several times among the brown and yellow stems of barnacles {Lepas) 

 attached to floating timber. It deposits its eggs in inverted cup-shaped, 

 or funnel-shaped, clusters, attached by a little pedicel at the small end. 



A very curious and beautiful free-swimming sjjecies (Olaucus marga- 

 ritaceus, figs. 113, a, h) was taken in 1884. It is bright blue and silvery 

 in life. 



Some of the species of Oephalopods are taken alive at the surface, 

 but most of them are difficult to capture. One living specimen of the 

 paper-nautilus {Argonauta argo, figs. G3, a, b) was caught in 1882 iu a 

 hand-net by Dr. Kite, on the "Fish Hawk." The most abundant Gulf 

 Stream species is SthenoteutJiis Bartramii, known as the " flying squid," 

 because it sometimes shoots out of the water with such force as to fall 

 upon the decks of vessels. Very large specimens of this were caught o£f 

 Cape Hatteras at the surface, and during the last season (1884) they were 

 taken in large numbers and of large size oft Martha's Vineyard by jigging 

 them with hooks after attracting them to the side of the steamer by 

 an electric light lowered to the surface of the water. It was not pre- 

 viously known north of Cape Hatteras. A small squid, furnished with 

 sharp claws on its long arms [Onychia agilis V.), was also taken at the 

 surface last summer. Many dead and more or less mutilated examples 

 of the great, gelatinous, Octopus-like Alloposus mollis V. were several 

 times observed floating at the surface, and sometimes also large speci- 

 mens of a curious squid (Calliteuthis reversa V.). Both of these are 

 probably true deep sea species, which only rise to the surface when 

 dead or disabled. 



