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V. — The Marine Mollusca of the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition. By James 

 Cosmo Melvill, M.A., F.L.S., F.Z.S., and Robert Standen, Assistant Keeper, 

 Manchester Museum. Communicated by Professor J. C. Ewart, F.R.S. (With 

 a Plate.) 



(MS. received July 5, 1907. Read July 15, 1907. Issued separately December 21, 1907.) 



The marine Mollusca obtained during the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition of 

 s.s. Scotia are particularly interesting, not merely on account of certain benthal forms 

 having been for the first time brought to light from unusual depths, but also as 

 demonstrating an extended geographical range for certain meridional species already 

 known ; while the occurrence of sundry British and North European individuals in the 

 Falkland Islands — perhaps brought there adventitiously — is, to some extent, a new 

 feature in the fauna. Regarding the deep-sea species just alluded to, the dredging of 

 a second example of the hitherto unique Guivillea alabastrina, Watson, from a station 

 not far from the original Challenge)- locality, is very noteworthy ; while we may at the 

 same time signalise a Columbarium, Cuspidaria, Chrysodomus, and Dentalium, from 

 1775, 2645, 1775, and 1410 fathoms respectively. 



The attention of the scientific world has for some years become more and more 

 centred upon the Arctic and Antarctic polar regions, and, of them, the latter till lately 

 presented the most virgin field for research, both physical, geographical, and biological. 

 Every year fresh expeditions seem to be planned, equipped, and launched for the 

 purpose of critical investigation and exploration, with most beneficial results ; and the 

 day may not now be far distant when it will be possible to draw up monographs of the 

 various zoological groups of the Antarctic area, including, we hope, one of the Mollusca. 

 In the meantime, we give below a collated bibliographical resume of the majority of the 

 treatises published on the subject during the past thirty years. 



In conclusion, we would express our obligations primarily to Mr Edgar A. Smith, 

 I.S.O., of the British Museum (Nat. Hist.), who has, with us, examined every critical 

 species in the collection. To Mr Ernest R. Sykes, F.L.S., and Dr W. E. Hoyle, F.R.S.E., 

 we are also indebted for the loan of various books and pamphlets bearing upon the 

 subject. To Dr Georg Pfeffer and Dr Hermann Strebel, of Hamburg, our thanks 

 are due for reporting on several forms submitted to them, two of which, obtained 

 likewise by the Swedish South Polar Expedition, and differentiated, but not yet 

 published, by Dr Strebel, we have been asked by him to describe at the present 

 opportunity. 



And last, but by no means least, we are most grateful to Mr W. S. Bruce, F.R.S.E., 

 for having entrusted his Molluscan collections to us, and for much kind assistance in the 

 way of maps and general information. 



TRANS. ROY. SOC. EDIN., VOL. XLVI. PART I. (NO. 5). 17 



