PREFACE. 



At the suggestion of Dr. P. A. Bather the Indian Museum entrusted to me 

 for study the magnificent collection of recent crinoids brought together mainly 

 as a result of the operations of the Royal Indian Marine Survey Steamer ' ' In 

 vestigator." Covering as it does the vast region from the Malay Archipelago to 

 the Persian Gulf the collection is one of extraordinary interest, for by its aid the 

 westward extension of many East Indian genera and species may be accurately 

 traced, and it is jjossible to form a very clear concept of the progressive diminution 

 in intensity of the wonderfully rich East Indian fauna as one travels westward. In 

 addition to the "Investigator" material, the Indian Museum also sent all of its 

 collections accumulated from other sources — collections of no small importance to 

 the student of the Indian fauna. 



Most of the species in the collection are represented by large series, and there 

 is an astonishingly complete representation of those very small forms so common 

 in the East Indian region which are frequently disposed of in toto as ' ' unidentifi- 

 able young," graphically bringing out the thoroughness with which the collectors 

 of the " Investigator" performed their labours. 



While the work of studying these large collections was in progress, I received 

 the material from the marine survey of the Philippine Islands, which was under- 

 taken by the United States Fisheries Steamer "Albatross." Tliis proved ex- 

 tremely rich in species as well as in individuals, and formed a most valuable 

 supplement to that obtained by the " Investigator." I had myself in 1906, when 

 naturalist of the "Albatross," made large collections off the coasts of Japan as 

 well as further north, subsequently receiving the collection made by Mr. Alan 

 Owston in shallower water off the southern shore, in the vicinity of Sagami Bay, 

 and these were naturally most instructive in throwing light upon the northern limits 

 of many East Indian genera and species. Recently the Australian Museum at 

 Sydney, New South Wales, sent me its entire Austrahan collection to study so 

 that I was able to form a good idea of the southward extension of the East Indian 

 genera and species about the shores of that continent. 



After the report was written I visited the chief museums of Europe for the 

 purpose of studying the crinoids therein contained in connection with my forth- 

 coming extended monograph on the group. I examined the Lamarckian and 

 Miillerian types preserved at Leyden and at Paris (those at Berlin having previously 

 passed through my hands) , and studied other important collections at Bergen , 

 Berlin, Copenhagen, Dresden, Kristiania, Lyons, Monaco, and Vienna. At the 

 British Museum I was able to study an enormous amount of East Indian material, 

 including the " Challenger " collections, those of the " Alert," " Penguin," 



