ECHINODERMATA 



529 



would be brought home from the Galapagos unless they were specially 

 sought for. As regards Ophiuroids, it is only by very recent and diligent 

 search that such a large number of species has been found at the 

 Bermudas. It is highly probable that similar diligent search would 

 largely increase the number of species from the Galapagos. 



By comparing the faunae of the two regions, with respect to the 

 origin of the Echinoderms, it appears that the Bermudan species are 

 chiefly West Indian, while the Galapagos species are South American, 

 with a few noteworthy exceptions : 



The most impoitant point, brought out by this table, is that the 

 holothurians of the Galapagos have apparently had an entirely diffre- 

 ent origin from the other echinoderms. Only one of the four species 

 (^H. impatiens^ has been reported from east of the islands and that 

 record (Panama) is open to suspicion; but even if correct, it does not 

 alter the fact that the species is an oriental one. This peculiar differ- 

 ence between the holothurians and other echinoderms offers consider- 

 able opportunity for speculation. For example, the question arises 

 whether it indicates that holothurian larvae are more hardy than those 

 of the other classes, and that they alone survived the long journey 

 across the Pacific ; and having once become established in the Gala- 

 pagos, have they crowded out or kept out American species, which 

 must have been brought there along with the larvae of other groups.'' 

 Only a thorough study of the holothurians of all the islands of the 

 Archipelago, and of the whole Pacific coast of tropical America, can 

 answer these questions, for it is entirely possible that this apparent 

 peculiarity in the echinoderm fauna of the Galapagos may be due 

 simply to our ignorance of Pacific holothurians. These 4 species may 

 prove to be very widely ranging species, occurring on the American 

 coast also, and if that is so, their occurrence in those islands is not so 

 remarkable. But it is curious that no American holothurians have 

 yet been found in the Galapagos. In this connection, it is interesting 

 to note that in the Bermudas 3 holothurians occur, which are not West 

 Indian, while there is only one other echinoderm of which this is true. 



