undatum) 19 inches high, . . . fromlat. 46° 40' N., long. 50° W." 

 This would be on the Grand Banks, near the Eastern Shoals, in 

 about 40 fathoms. These large masses of capsules were un- 

 doubtedly produced by several individuals. Specimens before 

 me measuring from 5 to 7 inches in length, 4 to 4.5 inches wide, 

 and 3 to 3.5 inches high, and containing probably from 2,000 to 

 2,500 capsules, seem out of all proportion for a single shell. 

 Mr. Olof 0. Nylander says he has seen two and three specimens 

 apparently forming a single bunch. Clusters containg 544 

 capsules are recorded. The irregular cluster shown on the 

 plate facing page 65 of The Shell Book (by Julia E. Rogers, 

 1908), is probably what would be called "branching." The 

 usual size of the clusters is from 2.5 to 3 inches in diameter, 

 as shown on Plate 1, fig. 1, containing between 300 and 400 

 capsules. The bunches of capsules form a fairly good substi- 

 tute for a sponge. "These are called 'sea wash-balls,' being 

 used instead of soap by sailors to wash their hands." 



Under Chrysodomus, Dr. Dall, in the paper above referred to, 

 says: "Ovicapsules massed, sessile either in a heap as in Buc- 

 cinum, or in a cylindrical erect group." Forbes and Hanley, 

 under Fusus antiquus Linn., the type of the genus Chrysodom,us, 

 say: "The capsules are only half an inch in diameter, are convex 

 outwardly, and concave in the inner side, coarse and corrugated, 

 and piled one upon another in a conical heap, three inches or so 

 high." 



Professor A. E. Verrill 2 under Buccinum cyaneum Brug. says: 

 "Numerous examples of clusters of cylindrical, often very 

 much elongated, clusters of egg-capsules have been brought 

 from the Grand Bank by the Gloucester fishermen. These, I 

 suppose, belong to this species, but I have no positive evidence. 

 The clusters are usually about an inch in diameter and 3 to 5 

 inches long. By the fishermen, these are called 'sea-corn' and 

 'green-corn.' " Friele" under Buccinum terraenovae Beck, says: 

 "The egg-capsules (fig. 16a, b) have been described by Morch 

 in Catal. des Moll, du Spitzb., p. 16, without, however, his 

 referring them to any particular species. Ootheca is long and 

 cylindrical in form, occurring now as a naked stem now with 

 a projecting branch. Length about 100 mm.; breadth from 

 16 to 20 mm." These resemble the egg-capsules in question, 



'History of British Mollusea, 1853, vol. 3, p. 426. 



2 Trans.*Conn. Acad. Arts and Sci., 1882, vol. 5, p. 495. 



3 Norwegian North Atlantic Exped., 1876-78, vol. 3, Moll. 1, 1882, p. 33. 



