230 JOURNAL OF CONCHOI,OGY, VOL. I3, NO. 8, OCTOBER, I9II, 



example, perfect, but dead. The species was described by the author 

 from a single specimen dredged by the 'Triton,' in the ShetlandT'^aroe 

 Channel in 608 f., but this specimen more probably came from the 

 deep-sea fishing grounds 70 miles east of the Shetlands, as trawlers 

 cannot work their trawl deeper than about 100 f., and rarely at that. 

 On another occasion, from the same source, Mr. Simpson found a 

 living but immature specimen of another Fi/sus different from any 

 species that I know. It is about the size of F. latericetis Moll., but 

 differs from that shell in being still more slender, with more com- 

 pressed whorls, no longitudinal ribs, and a bulbous apex.- I am 

 informed that of late years several species of the Echinodermata have 

 been brought into Aberdeen from the same fishing grounds which 

 had only been previously dredged in the Shetland-Faroe Channel, and 

 I have myself described an Aihila"- from these fishing grounds, which 

 if not well authenticated, might have been relegated to the Shetland- 

 Faroe Channel. (In this connection, I may add that a more recent 

 discovery of A. simpsoni in a Teredo-pierced piece of wood brings 

 its habitat into complete harmony with that of A. argenteus_ Jeff., 

 from frigid water in the Shetland-Faroe Channel). 



The results of the exploration of the Shetland-Faroe Channel by 

 various expeditions has, of course, brought the question of the limits of 

 the British area for zoological purposes into urgent prominence, and 

 it is to be hoped that the British Association will soon take it in hand 

 and issue some authoritative rules on the subject, as they have done 

 in the matter of the Rules of Priority and Nomenclature. This 

 boundary or zone must in any case be an arbitrary one, and for that 

 very reason individual opinion cannot be expected to carry much 

 weight. It is also the more necessary, not only because some rather 

 wild ideas appear to be entertained as to what constitutes a British 

 species or what are the limits of the British seas, but more especially 

 because steam-trawlers are rapidly taking the place of the old sailing 

 craft, and are now working nearly all the year round up to Iceland 

 and the Faroes, bringing back with them various genera of marine 

 animals ; while the change from sailing to steam trawlers is still more 

 accelerated owing to the growing reluctance of fishermen to remain at 

 sea more than from Monday to Saturday ; they are all learning to 

 appreciate their week-end on shore, and, once enjoyed, cannot be 

 induced to sacrifice that privilege ; so that while steam-trawlers are 

 easily manned, and can run home when they like, there is a difficulty 

 in shipping hands for the sailing craft, who have to come home wiien 

 they can. 



1 Trans. Aberdeen W.JNI. Nat. Hist. Soc, 1903, p. 84. 



2 Adula {Myrina) simpsoni Marsh., Journ. Malac, 1900, vol. vii., p. 167, figs. 1-3. 



