FROM THE EDDYSTONE GliOUJSDS TO STAliT POINT. 499 



Depth. Shallow water to 1150 fathoms {Porcupine). 



BoUom-deposit. Generally on muddy sand (Jeffreys, Forbes and Hanley, Jletzger, 

 Heincke, No. 30). 



Circe minima. One specimen in haul 7G on Ground VII., south-west 

 of the Eddystone. This haul was probably first on gravel and then on 

 fine sand with shells. 



Distribution. Geographical. Finmark to Mediterranean, Azores, Madeira, and 

 Canaries (Jeffreys, No. 55, and Dauzenberg, No. 20). Not recorded by Metzgcr in the 

 North Sea, nor by Petersen in the Kattegat. 



Depth. 5 to 704 fathoms (JettVeys and Dauzenberg). 



Bottom-deposit. Forbes and Hanley state that Circe minima occurs on nuUipore and 

 broken shell. Forbes {Brit. Assoc, 1850) records it generally on sand, on gravel, on nulli- 

 jiore, and on shell, once on sandy mud. The Challenger took the species oil' the Azoi'es in 

 450 fathoms on volcanic mud (Smith, No. 107). 



Astarte sulcata. Taken in three hauls only, viz., 95 (on Ground X.), 

 73 (on Ground XIV.), and 103 (Ground Xlll.). Several specimens were 

 captured in haul 95 ; in the other two hauls only one in each. Shells 

 were found on Grounds X., XIV., and XVI. 



The bottom-deposit on the grounds where the living specimens were 

 obtained is in all cases gravel, mixed with fine sand and mud (see 

 Table II.). 



Distribution. Geographical. Lapland, Finmark, Norway to the Canaries. Rare in 

 the Mediten-anean (Locard, No. 69). 



Depth. 7 to 1380 fathoms {Porciqnnc). 



Boitom-dep)osit. Forbes and Hanley and Gwyn Jeffreys state that the species lives in 

 nuiddy sand and in sand and mud. Forbes {Brit. Assoc, 1850) records it generally from 

 coarse ground (nullipore, shell, gravel), as well as from sand, sandy mud, and once from 

 nuid. Metzger (No. 77) records it in the Pommcrania dredgings seven times on coarse 

 ground, once on mud. Herdman dredged it in Kors Fjord in 89 fathoms, the dredge 

 coming ui) half full of nuid and stones (No. 40, A'ol. VI. p. 80). The same author 

 also records the species 1^ miles west of Contrary Head in the Isle of Man on nuidily sand 

 with stones, and where there were many ophiurids. This ground must be very similar 

 to the grounds upon which the species was taken near the Eddystone. Haul 95, where 

 it was most abundant, was on Ground X., the special feature of which is the abundance 

 of Ophiothrixfragilis, which generally nearly filled the dredge. 



Cardium cchinatum. Chart XIV. Although only one living speci- 

 men of the species was obtained, the distribution of the shells is in this 

 case so characteristic that there can be little doubt that it affords some 

 indication of the distribution of the living molluscs. The one living 

 specimen was obtained in haul 75 on Ground VII., south-west of the 

 Eddystone. As has been pointed out already (see p. 389), fresh shells of 

 Cardium cchinatum are a characteristic feature of the fine sand of the 

 outer and inner trawling grounds (I. and II.), where they are constantly 

 taken, and are the only shells of any size found on those grounds. 

 Similar fresh shells are also frequent on the fine sand ground (VI.) three 

 miles south of the Eddystone. The shells are somewhat less numerous 

 on Ground \11., where the sand is coarser, and they are occasionally 



