314 Annals of the South African Museum. 



OPHIOSCOLEX DENTATUS. 



Lyman, 1878. Bull. M. C. Z., vol. 5, p. 157; pi. VII, figs. 184-186. 

 1882, CHALLENGER Ophs., pi. XXIV, figs. 4-6. 



Mr. Lyman's figures are better in his preliminary, than in his final 

 report. In neither case do they correspond closely to his excellent 

 description. The picture of the remarkably long outer oral papillae 

 is particularly bad in the CHALLENGER report and even in the preli- 

 minary paper, they are not represented nearly long or slender enough. 

 The four, long, flat, blunt arm-spines are better represented as to 

 form, in the preliminary paper, but number, position and relative 

 size are much better shown in the final plate. Apparently Mr. Lyman 

 did not examine a dry specimen or he would not have called the 

 tentacle-scale rounded, when it is conspicuously spiniform, nor would 

 he have said "the upper aim-plates are only indicated by thin films 

 of slightly calcified skin". The upper surface of the arms, at least 

 the basal half, is covered by numerous small but distinct plates, 

 similar to but rather larger than those which cover the disk. 



This species was taken by the CHALLENGER only on the Agulhas 

 Bank, but Bell (op. cit. p. 259) records it from "off Buffalo" in 195 fms. 

 The specimens before me in the PIETER FAURE collection have a 

 disk diameter, ranging from 9-18 mm.; the largest is thus somewhat 

 larger than Lyman's type. 



Station 2386. Lion's Head, N. 76 E., 28 miles, 140 fms. Blk. spc. 

 1 specimen ; half grown. 



Station 2528. Lion's Head, N. 63 E., 34 miles, 154 fms. Blk. spc. 

 3 specimens; adult. 



TRICHASTERIDAE. 



This family is poorly represented in South African waters, only 

 the two following species having been found and these very sparingly. 

 They are easily separated from each other as follows : 



Key to the South African Species of Trichasteridae. 



Arms long, 810 times disk-diameter or more, with 4 or 5 minute arm-spines 

 on each side arm plate ...... Asteronyx loveni. 



Arms short, scarcely twice disk-diameter, with only 2 minute arm-spines 



Ophiuropsis lymani. 



ASTERONYX LOVENI. 

 Mii Her and Troschel, 1842. Sys. Ast. p. 119; pi. 10, figs. 3-5. 



The discovery of this species off South Africa is interesting but 

 not surprising. It has been known previously from almost all parts 



