THE SOLENOGASTRES. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The pre.sent paper embraces the result.s of the study of a collection of over 

 three hundred specimens of .Solenogastres, which have been taken in the Pacific 

 during the various expeditions of the U.S. Fish Commission Steamer "Alba- 

 tross." Based primarily on material from the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 

 it includes, through the generosity of the late Mr. Alexander Agassiz, the 

 description of other species collected during recent years. The teri-itory 

 embraced in these explorations is very extensive, including the entire coast of 

 North America from Lower California to Bering Sea, the Kurile Islands, the 

 Japanese Archipelago, and the Hawaiian Islands. The major portion of the 

 material was collected by the following expeditions: Tropical Pacific, 1899-1!)()(); 

 Hawaiian Exploration, 1902; Ala.ska Investigations, 1890 and 1903; California 

 Coast Exploration, 1889 and 1904; Japanese Expetlition, 1900. 



