714 American Work in the Department of [September, 
without truly forming part of any of the local faunz bordering 
upon it. Among the surprises was the discovery, in some num- 
bers, of nearly fresh shells of Argoxauta argo, though Lockwood 
(American NATURALIST, XI, p. 243, 1877) recorded the capture of 
a living individual, probably of this species, on the coast of New 
Jersey. The species first named in this paper are Bela sarsi V. 
(for B. cancellata Sars non Couthouy); B. hebes V. from 500 fms. ; 
Pleurotoma (Pleurotomella) pandionis V., 238 fms.; Taranis pul- 
chellaV ., 487 fms.; Neptunea ( Sipho) celata V.,and N. arata V., to 
500 fms. ; Nassa nigrolabra V., 155 fms.; Lunatia levicula V., 26 
fms. ; Rissow ( Cingula) harpa V.,to 365 fms.; Solarium boreale 
Verrill and Smith, 115 fms.; Acirsa gracilis V., 100 to 365 fms. ; 
Aclis striata V.; Turbonilla smithii V., 100 to 120 fms.; Odosto- 
mia (Menestho) sulcata V., 36 5 fms.; Dendronotus elegans V.; 
Polycerella emertont V.n. g. et sp.; Coryphella nobilis V.; Cratena 
veronice V.; Halepsyche V.n. g., for Psyche Rang., preoccupied ; 
Lyonsiella gemma V., 487 fms.; Meera multicostata Verrill and 
Smith ; Avicula hirundo L. (?) var. nitida V., and several unde- 
termined species. It is of course impossible, within the limits 
of this report, to summarize fully a publication which is in itself 
chiefly a summary and a catalogue, nor is it possible fairly to criti- 
cisé species or identifications from brief diagnoses without figures. 
It is to be hoped that the authorities of the Fish Commission and 
Professor Verrill will not allow much time to pass without giving 
to students good figures of all these new forms, which have been, 
during the existence of the Commission, from time to time neces- 
sarily so briefly and imperfectly described. This is the more 
necessary now that the investigations of the Commission are 
encroaching upon the abyssal fauna. Naturalists in several coun- 
tries are working on similar material, and it is growing to be 
more and more widely recognized that a description, unless 2¢ 
companied or soon followed by a good figure, or careful compat! 
son with some well-known and well-figured form, is useless 
any one who does not possess specimens for comparison. 
That the labors of Professor Verrill and his associates should 
bear their proper fruit and be placed permanently on a soum 
foundation, must be the wish of every American naturalist, and 
to bring this about, good figures of their hard earned treasures 
are indispensable. | = 
One criticism may be permitted. The Bela simplex of G. QO 
