72 BULLETIN 84, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Fanuly OPHIOMYCETIDiE. 



OPmOMYCES MKABILIS Lyman. 



Plate 3, fig. 6. 



Ophiomyces mirabilis Lyman (69), p. 342. 

 Ophiomyces mirabilis Ljungman (71), p. 652. 

 Ophiomyces mirahilis Lyman (82), p. 242. 

 Ophiomyces mirabilis Lyman (83), p. 270. 

 Ophiomyces mirabilis Kcehleb (07), p. 31G. 



Albatross station 2644. Apr. 3, 1886. Lat. 25° 40' N.; long. 80° 00' W.; 193 

 fathoms; gy. s.; temp. 43.4° F. Two specimens. 



Fish Hawk station 7286. Feb. 19, 1902. Lat. 24° 18' N.; long. 81° 47' 

 45" W.; 133 fathoms; s.; temp. 53.5° F. One specimen. 



Fisli Hawlc station 7296. Feb. 26, 1902. Lat. 24° 21' 25" N.; long. 81° 47' 

 45" W.; 122 fathoms; co.; temp. 54° F. Two specimens. 



Lyman gave a very good description of 0. mirahilis but he did not illustrate it. 

 The example from station 2644 is of rather large size but the upper face is entirely 

 missing; I was able to bring the arms down to the same level and to take a photo- 

 graph of the under face whicli I reproduce here (pi. 3, fig. 6). 



Family OPHIACANTHID^. 



The collection of Opliiurans wliich was sent me by the United States National 

 Museum included a fairly large number of Opliiacanthidse, some of wluch are new, 

 whUe the others belong to species already known. Owing to the special difficulties 

 which are experienced when making determinations in that family, I devoted 

 myself not only to describing the former, but also, and with special attention, to 

 the study of the known forms regarding which our knowledge is incomplete. Several 

 species of the Ophiacanthidse of the American coasts were named long ago by 

 Verrill, but most of them were described by him in such a summary way that 

 speciaUsts agree that it is impossible to identify these species, the more so as they 

 have not been illustrated. I have found in the collection of the National Museum 

 a few of these species, and I have been able to obtain the cotypes of some others, 

 but unfortunately I have been unable to borrow all the species wliich I should hke 

 to have studied. I have also examined with great benefit a few specimens deter- 

 mined by Liitken or by Ljungman which were most kindly lent me either by Pro- 

 fessor Theel, of Stockliolm, or by my friend Doctor Mortensen, of Copenliagen. 

 Thanks to these various specimens, I have been able either to ascertain some doubt- 

 ful determinations or to estabUsh some comparisons, or again to complete, with full 

 knowledge of the question, some insufhcient descriptions. My researches would have 

 been more complete had I been able to examine a few Atlantic forms such as 

 Ophiacantha cuspidata Lyman, segesta Lyman, and varispina VerrUl, the affinities 

 of wliich I consider as being somewhat doubtful. 



Before beginning with the description of the Ophiacantliidae, I must admit 

 that I feel somewhat puzzled, as wiU be understood by those who have studied the 

 Opliiurans. Tlie classification of the Ophiacanthidis now represents an actual chaos, 

 and the very limits of that family can not be indicated in a sufficiently precise 



