CHAP. TV. | THE CRUISES OF THE ‘ PORCUPINE, Lp 
distinct, as well as a very striking form. We only 
met with it on this occasion. The skeleton of this 
star-fish at first sight closely resembles that of some 
species of Ophidiaster, for instance O. asperulus, 
LUTKEN. It is at once distinguished, however, by the 
fundamental character of the quadruple row of ambu- 
lacral suckers; and the texture of the surface of 
the star-fish is utterly different. The arrangement 
of the ossicles of the frame-work is perhaps nearest 
to that in Arthraster dixoni, ForBES, from the lower 
chalk of Baleombe pit near Amberley, Sussex; but 
the only specimen of that species, now in the British 
Museum, unfortunately does not show the arrange- 
ment of the plates in the ambulacral grooves. 
As our coals were beginning to run short, and 
what remained were blowing off fast—steaming 
against rather a strong head wind—we thought it 
prudent to retrace our steps slowly towards Storno- 
way, dredging on our way. Accordingly, in the 
afternoon, we took a haul in lat. 59° 26’ N., long. 
8° 23’ W., with a depth of 705 fathoms, and a 
temperature of 5°9 C. Continuing our easterly 
course during the night, but heading slightly north- 
wards so as to come upon the ground where we 
had been previously so successful in dredging the 
singular anchoring sponges, we dredged in the 
morning in lat. 59° 388’ N., long. 7° 46° W., with a 
depth of 445 fathoms and a temperature of 7°5 C. 
This haul was not very rich, but it yielded one speci- 
men of extraordinary beauty and interest. As the 
dredge was coming in we got a glimpse from time 
to time of a large scarlet urchin in the bag. We 
thought it was one of the highly-coloured forms 
