INTRODUCTION 203 



To the very rich Ophiurid fauna of the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic seas are thus 

 added no less than sixteen new species and four new varieties. On the other hand 

 the number of Antarctic-sub-Antarctic species of Ophiurids previously recorded is 

 considerably reduced owing to the fact that several of them were found by the present 

 researches to be only synonyms of other species. This holds good of the following 

 species. 



Ophiodiplax disjuncta, Koehler, is identical with Ophiacantha antarctica, Koehler, 

 from the 'Belgica' (non Ophiacantha antarctica (Lyman)), and must henceforth be 

 named O. disjimcta (Koehler). 



Ophiochondnis falklandica, Koehler, is identical with O. stelliger, Lyman. 



Amphiura Mortenseni, Koehler, A. alternans, Koehler, and A. Eiigeniae, var. gracilis. 

 Hertz, are identical with A. Belgicae, Koehler. Very probably also A. Jfoubitii, Koehler, 

 is identical with A. polita, Koehler (cf. p. 279). 



Ophioceramis antarctica, Studer, is identical with Amphiodia affinis (Studer). 



Amphiphoh's patagonica, Ljungman, is identical with A. squamata (Delle Chiaje). 



Ophioperia Liidwigi, Koehler, is identical with Ophiura Koehleri, Bell, and must 

 henceforth be named Ophioperia Koehleri (Bell). 



Ophiozona inermis, Bell, and Ophioglypha resistens, Koehler, are identical with O. 

 Martensi, Studer, the species having to be named Ophiurolepis Martensi (Studer). 



Ophiomastus rotundtis, G. A. Smith, is identical with Ophiura meridionalis (Lyman). 



Ophiosteira echinulata, Koehler, is identical with O. antarctica, Bell. 



Further, the West African Ophiostigma africanum, Lyman, is identical with the 

 West Indian O. abnorme (Lyman). 



In regard to the zoogeography of the Antarctic and sub- Antarctic regions the 

 Ophiurid collection of the 'Discovery' does not materially change our conceptions, as 

 set forth in detail by Koehler (191 2) in his report on the Echinoderms of the ' Pourquoi- 

 Pas.'*', by Ekman (1925) in his report on the Holothurians of the Swedish Antarctic 

 Expedition, and by the present author in his reports on the Echinoids of the German 

 South Polar and the Swedish Antarctic Expeditions. (I may also recall the zoogeo- 

 graphical chapters in A. H. Clark's report on the Crinoids and M. Hertz' report on the 

 Ophiurids of the German South Polar Expedition.) I do not think it desirable or 

 profitable, therefore, to enter again here on a discussion of the zoogeography of the 

 Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions. Extensive researches in the vast, almost unknown 

 area of the Ahtarctic to the south of the Pacific Ocean would make a renewed discussion 

 of the zoogeographic problems of the Antarctic region profitable — but such researches 

 are still only a desideratum, as are also more extensive investigations of the bottom fauna 

 of the Antarctic deep sea. 



Of considerable zoogeographical interest are the facts of the occurrence of the South 

 African Amphiura incana in the Gulf of Guinea and of the North Atlantic A. Chiajei as 

 far south as Angola, facts which tend to show that extensive investigations along the 

 west coast of tropical Africa would bring results of very great zoogeographical interest. 

 This is another great desideratum. 



