Narratuk of Bahama E.xi'Kditiox. 53 



vey any adequate idea of their real beauty when fresh from 

 the water, the most conspicuous having a deep red body-color, 

 relieved by the bright \'ello\v blunt spines arranged in s\'m- 

 metrical patterns over the surface. Others present various 

 shades of red, deepening into a rich maroon, alternating with 

 orange and 3^ello\v. The natives of the Bahamas have a way 

 of preserving these specimens dried, and sell them so cheaply 

 that, for ordinarv cabinet specimens, it hardly pays the scien- 

 tific collector to take the time to dry them, even if he knows 

 how to do so successfully. 



A species of Archaster and one of Echhianthtis were abund- 

 ant echinoderms. Of course quite an assemblage of serpent- 

 stars were secured. A haul is almost never made without 

 bringing up some of these animals, which appear to be practi- 

 cally omnipresent in West Indian waters. A very prettily 

 marked little species of Ophiocanlha was noticeable from the 

 fact that it uniformly possessed six rays, a not very common 

 feature in this group. Two species of Ofhiothrix were 

 secured, one of which had very large, jagged spines, thickh' 

 matted over the entire dorsal surface of the disk. All of the 

 ophiurans secured here were of small size, and not so abun- 

 dant as in other regions where we dredged. 



Sea-urchins, curiouslv enough, were scarce on these tlats, 

 although one would think the region particularly favorable to 

 this form of life. Ec/iiiiaiifhiis rosacats was secured in abvm- 

 dance. Like most of its relatives, it seems to flourish best on 

 a sandv bottom. 



Gorgonians of various kinds were common. IlNclroids of 

 several species were found clinging to all sorts of objects 

 brought up by the dredge. A species of llalcr/ion exhibited 

 a new style of gonangium for this famil\-. the reproductive 

 calicles being oval and surmounted b\- a ver\' conspicuous 

 acrocvst. The gonangia contain ova. and each acrocN'st con- 

 tains a single developing medusa. 



Anotlier. a beautiful little campanularian. w ith tubular hydro- 

 theca\ has a gonangium with regular corrugations, and a w ell 

 marked coHar and Hd. Three sertularians belouirina" to the 



