Of the Order Ophiuridse . 149 



Sp. O. lubrica, nov. sp., Forbes. Tab. XIII. fig. 15 — 22. 

 Diam. disc. | unc. ; long. rad. 5 unc. 



Note. — I unfortunately neglected to observe the form of the cirrhi in the 

 living animal ; but, judging from the formal analogy between those organs and 

 the spines in other genera, I should expect to find them pinnate. 



Genus Ophiopsila, Forbes, (otpic and j/ziXoc, nudus.) 



I have thought it necessary to constitute a genus for the reception of a 

 naked-bodied, long-armed Ophiura, which is not uncommon in the seas of the 

 Archipelago. It combines some of the characters of Ophiomyxa with some of 

 those of the following genus, and has a habit peculiar to itself. 



But one species occurs. It has a round disc, sometimes lobed between the 

 rays, flat, coriaceous and smooth. There are two linear nearly parallel sepa- 

 rate shields opposite the origin of each ray. The upper ray-scales are square 

 and minutely granulated ; the lower ones are quadrangular, with lunate sides. 

 Each lateral ray-plate bears six spathuiate spines, the lowest but one of which 

 is longer than the rest, and the lowest smaller. In dead specimens the last 

 laps over the ray-plate, so that its apex meets that of its fellow on the opposite 

 side. The spines can lap close to the rays, except the undermost ones. The 

 longest spines do not quite equal in length the breadth of the ray. The rays 

 are 6^ times as long as the breadth of the disc. The ovarian plates are small 

 and subpentagonal. When alive, the colours are brilliant shades of brown, 

 morone, or orange: when dead, the creature is of a purplish brown. It inha- 

 bits various depths above 40 fathoms. 



Char. Gen. Corpus orbiculare, coriacemn, laeve, ad peripheriam radiatumj radiis sim- 

 plicibus squamosis, infra discum insertis ; squamis lateralibus subcarinatis, spiniferis, 

 spinis simplicibus ; ossiculis ovarialibus parvis, oralibus ad latera nudis. 



Sp. Ophiopsila Aranea, Forbes. Tab. XIV. fig. 1 — 7- 

 Lat. disc, /(j unc. : long. rad. 3| unc. 



Genus Amphiura, Forbes. {an<p\ and ohpd.) 



I constitute this genus for the long-rayed scaly and smooth-bodied Ophi- 

 urce, with simple tentacula and smooth spines. MUller and Troschel included 



