88 NOTES OF TWO DAVS' TRAWLING AND 



been a matter of some difficulty. The descriptions are scattered, 

 and many of them are old, and the accompanying figures not 

 correctly drawn. Dr. Hoek, of Leiden, in his " Report on the 

 Pycnogonida of H.M.S. Challenger, 1873-76" ("Zoology," vol. iii., 

 1881), attempted a more careful classification of these spider-like 

 forms, which, from the time of Linnaeus, have been variously placed 

 with the land spiders, Arachnida, on the one side, and by other 

 naturalists with the Crustacea. In the latest Monograph, published 

 last year (1891), by Prof. G. O. Sars, of Christiania ("Den Norske 

 Nordhavs Expedition, 1876-78, vol. xx. Zoologi, Pycnogonidea "), 

 detailed descriptions and drawings of all the northern species are 

 given, and the volume is a most valuable contribution to our know- 

 ledge of the subject, and for the identification of species ; none 

 the less because it is published in Norwegian and English, in two 

 columns. So far as the systematic position of the Pycnogonidae is 

 concerned, Prof. Sars agrees with Dr. Hoek and Prof. Dohrn in 

 considering them as a distinct group (class) of the Arthropoda. 



Of Tunic ATA we found nothing fresh ; Cynthia and Ascidia 

 were plentiful as usual. 



The same may be said of the Echinodermata. Ophioglypha 

 ciliata and the common Sun Star {Solaster papposa) came up in 

 larger numbers ; and some of the latter were much larger than we 

 had taken before. We found them with eleven, twelve, and thirteen 

 rays, and one specimen with six rays only. I have endeavoured to 

 preserve some of these, and think I have succeeded better than last 

 time. The rows of radial spines are in better order, and in the 

 ambulacral groove many of the suckers may be seen extended. This 

 species is exceedingly variable in the number of rays ; at the tip of 

 each is a little scarlet eye protected by spines, and the reticulated 

 surface is armed with aggregations of spines. These features, and 

 especially the madreporic plate, grooved like a miniature brain coral, 

 make this common species a most interesting microscopical study. 



Annelids. — Of the iMarine ivorins I am not competent to say 

 much ; although a great number of the smaller ones were taken and 

 have been preserved, but they have not been worked out. A species 

 of Polynoe, probably cirrata, was extremely abundant, and of Nereis 

 pelagica, a few ; the largest measuring 7I inches in length. 



We also obtained one fine specimen of the sea-mouse, Aphrodite 

 aculeata, which is always a beautiful object, with its fringes of silky 

 iridescent hairs amoni2;st the bristles. 



