116 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
with the only Compound Ascidian that appears to have been col- 
lected. 
The simple forms belong either to Ascidia or Ascidiella, but the 
sole species of the latter, A. scabra , has not till now been known to be 
more than littoral in its habitat. Ascidia guttulata sp. n. is very near to 
A. mentula , and appears to represent it at great depths. 
M. Caullery has some instructive notes on a phase in the reconstitu- 
tion of a colony of Biazona violacea. 
INVERTEBRATA. 
Brook’s Collection from the West Coast of Scotland.* * * § — Mr. T. Scott 
has a report on a collection of marine dredgings and other natural 
history materials made on the West Coast of Scotland by the late 
George Brook. About 344 species of Invertebrates, chiefly Mollusca, 
Crustacea, Echinoderma, and Eoraminifera, have been determined ; 
nearly all the Amphipods are said to be of interest. Echinus norvegicus 
was taken in the deep water of Loch Buy, Mull. 
Fauna of the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal. t — Prof. K. Brandt has studied 
the rapid peopling of this canal (from the lower Elbe to the Bay of 
Kiel) with marine animals. The sea-water was admitted in May 1895, 
and already five animals are found throughout the whole canal (100 kilo- 
metres), viz. Balanus improvisus, Gammarus locusta, Mysis vulgaris , 
Polydora ciliata , and Membranipora pilosa. Others, such as the edible 
mussel, the cockle, My a arenaria , were found only in the eastern part. 
Others, namely, species of Enchytrseus , Carchesium , and Vorticella, were 
found only in the western part. Two freshwater forms — a Perlid and 
a beetle larva — were found near the opening of a stream into the canal* 
but otherwise freshwater forms were absent, 
Mollusca. 
a. Cephalopoda. 
Gigantic Cephalopod.J — Prof. A. E. Verrill has received informa- 
tion of an immense “Octopus” having been cast ashore not far from 
St. Augustine, Ela., XJ.S.A. The body measured 18 ft. by 10. Prof. 
Verrill thinks it was a Squid, which probably weighed 4 to 5 tons. In a 
further note § Prof. Verrill reports that he has seen photographs of this 
huge creature, which show that it was probably a true Octopus of colossal 
size. The revised weight is given as at least 6 or 7 tons, and “this is 
doubtless less than half of its total mass when living.” The species 
appears to be undescribed, and it is proposed to call it 0. giganteus. It 
is probably one of the kinds on which the sperm-whale regularly feeds. 
Embryology of Nautilus. ||— Dr. A. Willey has been successful in 
observing the first stages of the ova of Nautilus macromphalus at Lifu. 
The eggs are laid singly and at night in concealed situations ; they are 
* Proc. Roy. Phys. Soc. Edinb., xiii. (189G) pp. 166-93 (1 pi.). 
t Zool. Jabrb. (Abtli. Syst.), ix. (1896) pp. 387-408 (2 maps). 
I See Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., xix. (1897) p. 240. 
§ Amer. Journ. Sci., iii. (1897) pp. 162-3. 
|| Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond., lx. (1897) pp. 467-71 (6 figs.); and Nature, lv. (1897) 
p. 402 and 3 (6 figs.). 
