257 



AN ADVENTITIOUS OCCURRENCE OF NAUTILUS POM- 



piLius. Linn, WITH a Short Bibliography on ocean 



CURRENTS affecting THE AUSTRALIAN COAST. 



By Arthur R. Riddle. 

 [Read August 12, 1920.] 



In January of 1911, the late Mr. James Scott, of Yorke- 

 town, picked up in Foul Bay, on Southern Yorke Peninsula, 

 opposite what is locally known as the Old Windmill, a live 

 specimen of Nautilus pompilius, Linn. The animal was nearly 

 intact, only small portions having been removed by sea birds, 

 and was not obviously in a state of decomposition. 



The shell is very large, beautifully and brightly 

 marked, and is in a perfect state of preservation. The exact 

 measurements are : — 



Inches. Centimetres. 



Maximum length 



8-94 



22-7 



Maximum height 



6-94 



17-6 



Maximum breadth 



4-5 



11-4 



Range. 



The occurrence of this shell on Southern Yorke Peninsula 

 is adventitious, the home of the shell being in much warmer 

 seas. Try on (1) gives the range generally as Polynesia, and 

 specifically as embracing "the islands of the Eastern Archi- 

 pelago, Erromanga, Aneitum, and other islands of the New 

 Hebrides, and also the Feejee group." Woodward (2) gives 

 its habitat as "Chinese Seas, Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf." 

 Pelseneer (3) locates the specimen in the Indian and Pacific 

 Oceans. The localities given by Woodward and Pelseneer 

 are in marked contrast to those given by Tryon in respect 

 to the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf. Tryon would be 

 supported by the range given by Willey (4) in his excellent 

 and elaborate treatise, "Contribution to the Natural History 

 of the Pearly Nautilus." The entire range of the species is 

 here given as "'Philippines, Moluccas, Bismarck Archipelago, 

 Torres Straits, New Hebrides, and Fiji." • 



Previous Adventitious Occurrences. 

 Similar occurrences, although apparently iall of dead 

 specimens, have been noted on the Australian coast, in lati- 

 tudes much higher than those of the home of the shell. 

 i2 



