Jordan: on the genus fitsus. 235 



captain of a sailing vessel, with the request that it should be used 

 when a suitable opportunity arose. The vessel was almost be- 

 calmed off Cape Clear, the dredge was lowered, and in that 

 single haul two living examples of this rare species came up. I 

 cannot find any record of its having been dredged in our seas 

 since Stutchbury's time by any private naturalist. The localities 

 about to be mentioned are those of the government expeditions 

 ' Porcupine ' and ' Knight Errant.' Faroe channel, 'warm area' 

 530 fathoms, bottom temperature, 46-5'^ Fahr. Off Valentia, 

 85 — 1230 fathoms, bottom temperatures respectively, 49 '6'^ and 

 37'8'' Fahr. Slopes of the channel, 257 — 539 fathoms, bottom 

 temperatures, 50-0° and 48 "c" respectively. Coast of Portugal, 

 thirty to forty miles off Cape Mondero, 100 — 220 fathoms, 

 bottom temperature, 52-0'^ Fahr. 



A week's work, off the south-west coast of Ireland, with a 

 small beam trawl — 14 or 16 feet — with a fine mesh, would pro- 

 bably be rewarded with this species and other rarities, such as 

 Bticcinopsis Dalei, Buccinum Huinphrejsianuui, Fusus Islandiciis, 

 Fusus attenuattts, &c. 



It is much to be regretted that so few of our yacht owners 

 take an interest in marine zoology. It seems that zeal for 

 natural history research is nearly always inversely proportional 

 to opportunity ; ' whilst he sits on the cushion of advantages he 

 goes to sleep.' 



II. — Fusus attenuatus, Jeffreys. 



This species was taken in the 'Porcupine' expedition, 1869, 

 about 150 miles off Dursey Island, S.W. of Ireland, 1207 

 fathoms, bottom temperature, 377'' Fahr. Also in the 'Valorous' 

 expedition, 1875. North Atlantic, lat. 56^1' N., long., 34^42' 

 W., 690 fathoms, bottom temperature, 38 "2" Fahr. This station 

 is about half way between the coasts of Ireland and Labrador. 



These localities are the only ones recorded. I have 

 been unable to find any figure or descriptiou of this shell, nor 

 could I obtain any information in regard to it on calling at the 

 Natural History Museum, South Kensington, in 1886. But 



