1835.] Note on Oxygyrus, and other Pelagian shells. 173 



I am happy to find that my description of the manners and flight of 

 the albatross agrees so nearly with that of the author just mentioned. 

 He says, however, that this bird constantly dips its head below the sur- 

 face of the water, during its flight, in search of food. 



This I never saw, although I have sometimes watched them for the 

 greater part of the day. Like the Cape petrel they always settled 

 before they seized their prey, and never rose until they had devoured it. 



As truth is the grand desideratum in all scientific researches, I do 

 not think it necessary to offer any apology for having set forth my 

 remarks in opposition to those of more experienced men, because I have 

 stated no more than what actually passed under my own observation : 

 whereas the authors above mentioned have written in a great measure 

 from hearsay, and consequent: y may have been obliged to take on 

 credit a great deal of unauthenticated matter. 



[We regret that we cannot find room for Lieut. Hutton's daily Journal, kept 

 during his voyage to India. We presume however that the principal facts in 

 natural history observed by him have been alluded to above. — Ed.] 



VII. — Account of Oxygyrus ; a new Genus of Pelagian Shells allied to 

 the Genus Atlanta of Lesueur, with a Note on some other Pelagian 

 Shells lately taken on board the Ship Malcolm. By W. H. Benson, 

 Esq. Bengal Civil Service. 



The following characters of a new Pelagian shell, taken on the 

 surface of the Southern Atlantic and Indian Oceans, may prove inter- 

 esting to naturalists, inasmuch as hitherto only one genus of the 

 family, viz. Atlanta, has been discovered ; and of the remaining fami- 

 ly of the order, a single genus, bearing a shell, is known, that of 

 Carinaria, of which scarce and beautiful groupe we took, in the Indian 

 Ocean, two new species, which I hope shortly to describe and illus- 

 trate. The shell of the genus Atlanta was first made known by 

 Lamanon, in a paper sent to France during the progress of La Pey- 

 rouse's voyage. Overlooking the absence of septa, he called it " Corne 

 d' Ammon vivante." The only specimens he met with were dead, 

 and were taken from the stomachs of Bonetas, which he supposed to 

 have brought them up from great depths, little dreaming that hun- 

 dreds of living specimens were nightly within his reach on the surface 

 of the Ocean. Lately the genushas been re- discovered by the American 

 French naturalists, the animal has been referred to its proper place in 

 the system, and a scientific name has been conferred upon it by M. 

 Lesueur. I now come to my description of the allied genus, which 



