1920.] 
Natural-history Notes. 
171 
It is one of the shell-less mollusca, and this specimen is about 2J in. 
in length and 1J in. in breadth, of a semi-translucent greyish-white on 
the under-surface, with the back mottled with light brown. Its favourite 
position in the aquarium is to float foot upwards on the surface of the 
water, though it is a restless creature and crawls all over the aquarium. 
It is carnivorous, taking- 
scraps of either raw meat or 
raw fish with almost equal 
readiness. 
On the 9th March it de¬ 
posited a small coil of spawn 
on the side of the glass, 
which after a few days dis¬ 
integrated, leaving the egg- 
granules loose in the water. 
So far I am unable to say 
whether any have hatched 
out. Another and larger coil 
was deposited near the top 
of the aquarium on the 29th March, which was photographed by Mr. H. 
Hamilton, and is here figured natural size. 
This coil had completely disappeared by the 27th April, but on 
the 22nd April a third coil was deposited which remained in good 
condition for a week, but by the 18th May had almost entirely dis¬ 
integrated. 
The black specks on the spawn are due to the minute vegetable growth 
on the side of the aquarium. 
Note on the Spawn-coils of Kerguelenia obliquata (Sowerby), by Miss 
M. K. Mestayer, Dominion Museum. 
This species is fairly common on rocks between tide-marks from 
Cook Strait southwards to the Auckland Islands, particularly during 
the summer months, and its relatively large size and beautiful interior 
make it well known to shell-hunters along 
our coasts. A remarkably clean specimen 
obtained by Dr. J. A. Thomson near 
Dunedin is here figured. 
From about October to the ena of 
April gelatinous ribbon - like coils of 
spawn may frequently be found in more 
or less close association with this species. 
As a general rule it is almost certain 
that at least one specimen may be 
found within quite a short distance of 
a coil, and very often two or three are 
close together. 
The coil here figured was photographed at Island Bay, Cook Strait, 
on the 23rd April of this year (fig. 2). The coils average about 1 in. 
in diameter and about J in. in height. Though I have not been able 
to see the spawn being laid, yet for many years I have observed 
the constant association of the coils with the near presence of this 
[E. Tomlinson , photo. 
Fig. 1 . —Kerguelenia obliquata. 
Natural size. 
[ H. Hamilton, photo. 
Spawn of Pleurobranchaea novae-zelandiae. 
