1898] ZOOLOGICAL JAMAICA 1G3 



sponges, and the like. No other spot that we visited in Jamaica 

 could compare with the Lakes for abundance and variety of marine 

 life. The sea-weed on the mangrove-roots is literally swarming 

 with animals, and a single root would furnish profitable entertain- 

 ment for hours. The sponges are of all colours and shades from 

 black to white, red, green, blue and purple being the most striking. 

 The oysters are small but abundant, and are said to be good eating. 

 Beautifully coloured planarians and nudibranch molluscs are numer- 

 ous both in species and individuals. One of the most interesting 

 inhabitants of these colonies is a viviparous Syno.pta, which is abun- 

 dant in certain parts of the Lakes. On dead mangrove-roots, where 

 there is little or no sea-weed, one often finds large masses of an 

 orange-red ascidian, which is one of the most noticeable objects to 

 be seen. A large tubicolous annelid, Sabetta, sometimes called 

 locally a ' sea-hen,' is quite common, and is conspicuous on account 

 of its large, brown and white tentacle-gills. Numerous crabs are 

 found among the mangrove and in the sea-weed, and they form one 

 of the most fascinating groups in the fauna of Jamaica. Over 100 

 species have been recorded from the island, and they differ so re- 

 markably in size, shape, colour and conformity to their surround- 

 ings that there seems no limit to their diversity. Indeed, curious 

 novelties in the crab line were sure to turn up on every collecting 

 trip. We often found small fishes tangled up with the sea-weed 

 when we lifted roots out of the water, and in this way we captured 

 several specimens of the curious and graceful little sea-horse, Hippo- 

 campus. On the bottom of the Lakes the commonest animals are 

 echinoderms, but one curious discomedusa, Cassiopca, is often found 

 there, which, as it rests on the sand with its oral tentacles up, bears 

 such a striking resemblance to a head of cauliflower that it is hard 

 to believe it is not a vegetable growth. Several species of star-fish 

 occur, the most striking of which are a bright red Echinastcr and the 

 large nine-armed Luidia. Two other species of Luidia occur, and 

 one or two species of Aslropecten are common. Ophiurids are 

 represented by only a single species, and that a very small one, and 

 sea-urchins are not very common. But holothurians abound, and 

 are very noticeable. A few of these belong to the genus Mulleria, 

 many more to Holothuria, but the great bulk of them to Sticlmpus. 

 The latter show the most extraordinary variation in colour and 

 form, so that the determination of species becomes a difficult matter. 

 Large tectibranch molluscs, Aplysiae of several species, also occur in 

 the Lakes, but they are not very common. They excrete a purple 

 fluid into the water when they are irritated or disturbed. Sea- 

 anemones are abundant and of several species ; one genus, Bn.no- 

 dwpsis, is rather small, and covers the eel-grass in certain places 

 with greyish-white patches. A large black ascidian is very common, 



