476 DR. P. H. CARPENTER ON THE CIRRI OE CERTAIN COMATHL/E. 



series of examples of this species, formerly so little known, from ten different localities, I 

 have devoted a considerable amount of time and trouble to working out in detail the 

 variations of its cirri, both local and individual, and the results of this investigation are 

 explained in the following pages. 



Antedon phalangium was described by Miiller : as long ago as 1841, though for a long 

 time but little was known about it. The original specimens which Miiller described 

 had been obtained at Nice and at Naples; but for many years afterwards no further 

 mention was made of its having been met with, either at these localities or anywhere 

 else. It was obtained off the Tunis coast by the ' Porcupine' Expedition of 1870, though 

 the fact was not recorded ai the time ; and it was not till 1875 that much attention was 

 directed to it. Professor Marion dredged it in the harbour of Marseilles, and gave a 

 careful analysis of its peculiarities, accompanied by some excellent figures. 2 



These have enabled me to identify it with the type from the Uoss-shire coast which has 

 been so long known to British naturalists by the name of Antedon celtica '■' ; and it is of 

 the differences which are presented by the cirri of the Scotch and of the Mediterranean 

 types respectively that I am about to speak. 



Besides obtaining Antedon phalangium in great quantities at two localities on the 

 Tunis coast, the 'Porcupine' also dredged it at Carthagena, off Cape Sagres on the 

 Atlantic coast of Spain, and also off Mondego on the coast of Portugal. S :veral speci- 

 mens were likewise obtained by the S. S. ' Dacia ' on the Seine bank at a depth of 88 

 fathoms, and have been put into my hands by Mr. John Murray; while, thanks to the 

 kindness of Professor Marion and of Mr. W. Percy Sladen, I have further been able to 

 examine specimens from Marseilles and from Naples respectively. 



Midler's description 4 of the cirri in the .Mediterranean variety of this type ran as 

 follows: — " Die Ranken sind zur Grosse des Thiers ganz ausserordentlich lang mit 45 

 langen dunnen Gliedern. Endglied gestreckt ohne Dornchen der Innenseite ; die 

 Glieder, mit Ausnahme der ersten (an der Basis), sind 2-2Jmal so lang als breit." This 

 is very well shown in the excellent figure given by Marion 5 of some specimens from 

 Marseilles ; and he mentions that the cirri vary in length from 25 to 58 mm. while the 

 number of joints varies from 37 to 51. In Mr. Sladen's Naples specimen the longest 

 cirrus reaches (31 mm. and consists of 48 joints, the three longest of which measure 5 mm. ; 

 and it may be noted in passing that only one young cirrus remains attached to the centro- 

 dorsal of this individual. It is a trifle over 5 mm. long and belongs to the rudimental 

 type, consisting of a large number of small annular joints without auy trace of a terminal 

 claw. The longest cirrus which I have found in specimens from the Tunis coast measures 

 52 mm. and contains 17 joints (PI. LVil. tig. 7) ; while in one from the Minch there are 51 



: " TTeber die Gattuug Comatula, Lam., und ihre Arten." Abkandl. d. k. Akarl. d. Wis.s. Berlin, a. d. J. 1847 

 (1849), p. 253. 



2 " Draguages au Large de Marseille," Ann. des Sc. nat. 6' serie, /•».!. t. 8, L879, pp. 4n-l."> (of separate copy), 

 pi. 18. 



"Note on the European ComatulsB," Zool. Anzeiger, 1881, Jahrg. iv. p. 520, and Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin. veil. Nii. 

 pp. 361, 362. 



1 Loc i-it. p. i!5;i. 



~° Loc.cit. pi. IS, figs. 11, lie, 11-/. 



