226 



is asserted, digests, tin pots, cloth, canvas, &c. I remarked that the 

 inner surface of the stomach to which these parasites were attached 

 appeared inflamed. 



On the afternoon of the same day, three small Sharks were taken, 

 the whole of which were also infested by similar parasites about the 

 pyloric orifice of the stomach. 



* It is not a little singular that four Sharks caught about the same 

 locality should have parasites. In one of the Sharks the worms 

 were not only about the pyloric orifice of the stomach, but extended 

 through the whole extent of the intestines, even penetrating the coats 

 of the intestines themselves ; and on examination, irritation of the 

 coats of the bowels, and in some parts inflammation and ulcerated 

 portions, were observed in several situations. 



Preparations of these structures are deposited in the Museum of 

 the College of Surgeons of England. 



6. Notes on the Range of some Species of Nautilus, on 

 the mode of Capture, and on the use made of them 



AS AN ARTICLE OF FOOD. By Dr. GEORGE BeNNETT, 



F.Z.S. 



The three best known species of the genus Nautilus are N. pom- 

 pilius, N. macromphalus, and N. umbilicatus. The first species is 

 the most common and has the widest range ; the second species is 

 more limited in its range, and rarer ; the third, although found in 

 collections, is scarcer than the two preceding, and has a range pecu- 

 liar to itself. The range of N. pompilius embraces the islands of 

 the Eastern Archipelago, Erromanga, Aneitum, and other islands of 

 the New Hebrides, and also the Feegee group. N. macromphalus 

 is found about the Isle of Pines and New Caledonia ; and the rare 

 N. umbilicatus in the Solomon Archipelago, New Georgia, New 

 Britain, New Ireland, and probably to the eastward of these groups 

 of islands. Two very fine and perfect shells of N. umbilicatus were 

 given to me in Sydney, which had been procured from the natives 

 of Denys Island, New Ireland, eastward of New Guinea. Dr. Mac- 

 donald, of H. M. S. " Herald," informs me that on examination 

 and comparison, there is a marked difference between the tentacula 

 or feelers, in the first two species. The sculpturing on N. umbili- 

 catus is very distinctly marked on the external surface of the shell, 

 differently from what is observed either in N. pompilius or N. ma- 

 cromphalus, and forming one of its very distinctive characters. The 

 outer edge of the lip of the perfect shell in N. umbilicatus has a nar- 

 row, black rim, continuous from the anterior portion of the whorl ; 

 this obtains in perfect shells. I remark that in N. pompilius and 

 N. macromphalus the black rim is on the inner side of the edge of 

 the lip. The colour of the shells in the different species varies from 

 brick-red and orange (of brighter or paler tints) to nearly a dark 

 crimson colour, being as various as the colour observed among the 

 common Cowrie shells. 



