REPORT ON THE CRINOIDEA. 79 



dire que, malgre la simplicite de leurs bras, les Eudiocrinus, loin d'etre un type primitif 

 de Comatules, representent au contraire un type notablement modifie." 



I do not quite know what Perrier would regard as a primitive type of Comatula, 

 and I have not been able to arrive at any fixed ideas upon that subject myself. But if 

 his inference that Eudiocrinus is a much modified type has qo better foundation than 

 is given in his description of Eudiocrinus atlanticus, as would appear from his own 

 remarks just quoted, I do not think that much can be said for it. This species approaches 

 more nearly to Antedon than any of the other four comprising the genus ; for it has a 

 bifascial articulation between the first two joints above the radials like Eudiocrinus 

 semperi and Eudiocrinus japonicus; but it also possesses what these have not, viz., 

 abundant sacculi ; and these organs are abundant in Eudiocrinus indivisus as in Antedon. 

 This latter form is, however, much further removed from the ordinary Antedon-type than 

 Eudiocrinus atlanticus, owing to the syzygial union of the two joints above the radials, 

 which only occurs in a very few species of Antedon. Perrier's inference as to the notably 

 modified character of Eudiocrinus appears, however, to be entirely founded upon his 

 knowledge of the single Atlantic species ; while he makes some considerable errors in 

 his comparison of it with the other Comatula genera, Antedon and Actinometra. 



Eudiocrinus has a somewhat wider geographical range than Atelecrinus, extending 

 over more than 70° of latitude in the West Pacific, and occurring at about 45° N. in the 

 Atlantic. The type of the genus was found near Bohol in the Philippine Islands by 

 Professor Semper some twenty years ago. A second species (Eudiocrinus semperi), was 

 dredged by the Challenger shortly after leaving Sydney, and again off New Zealand. A 

 third (Eudiocrinus varians), was met with off the north-east part of the Philippine 

 Group, at the lowest bathymetrical limit of the genus ; while a fourth came up from 

 565 fathoms, to the south of the Bay of Yedo, and has also been collected at lesser 

 depths in Japanese waters. To these must now be added the Atlantic species dredged 

 by the " Travailleur " in 896 metres l (486 fathoms). The bathymetrical range of the type 

 is thus very considerable, and it has been dredged four times below 500 fathoms, on two 

 of which occasions the depth exceeded 900 fathoms. The only fossil species known occurs 

 in the Valanp-ien and Lower Urgonien of Switzerland. 



The species of Eudiocrinus fall into two unequal groups. The first one comprises 

 Semper's type (Eudiocrinus indivisus), in which the first two joints beyond the radials 

 are united by syzygy ; while in the four remaining species there is a bifascial articulation 

 between these two joints. In describing the other three Pacific species, I spoke of the 

 fourth brachials as being traversed by a syzygy and bearing a pinnule in Eudiocrinus 



1 This depth (896 metres) is that mentioned by Perrier in his first description of Eudiocrinus atlanticus (Comptes 

 rendus, 1S83, t. xcvi. p. 725). Recently, however, he has said :— " Les Eudiocrinus viventa environ 1200 metres de pro- 

 fondeur, dans les regions vaseuses " (Les Explorations Sous-marines, p. 275), and on the same page is figured a specimen 

 of Eudiocrinus atlanticus from 1000 metres. It may be well to remember that Eudiocrinus indivisus and Eudiocrinus 

 japonicus have both been dredged in less than 50 fathoms. 



