BARBADOS-ANTIGUA REPORTS 45 



cream color showing in shai'p contrast to the dark brown spines. 

 Besides Ophiocoma echinata, 0. riisei and 0. pumila were se- 

 cured, but were much less abundant. Professor Nutting also 

 mentions the common association of Ophiocoma echinata with 

 Echinometra viridis. 



The species of Ophiocom-a were the most common ophiurans 

 along the shores at Barbados, although several other species were 

 more or less abundant. 



Three species of Ophiothrix, 0. angidata, O. oerstedii and O. 

 suensonii, the last named the most abundant, fairly swarmed 

 over some of the gorgonians brought up near Hastings by the 

 diver. Often the large profusely branched gorgonians were 

 fairly covered with the wriggling ophiurans. 



Professor Nutting writes that one of the most beautiful ser- 

 pent stars he ever saw was taken at Station 64, in from 60 to 70 

 fathoms. It was a large specimen with a spread of about ten 

 inches, with a very distinct band of vivid crimson on a back- 

 ground of light pink along the dorsal surface of the arms and 

 extending to the center of the disk. The spines were very slen- 

 der, 8 mm. long, quite transparent, with saw-like sides and in 

 three series on each side of the arms. This individual has not 

 come to hand, but undoubtedly it was a particularly fine example 

 of Ophioihrix suoisonii. 



Of the simple armed basket fish Professor Nutting says that 

 perhaps the most conspicuous and strikingly marked were Aster- 

 oporpa and Astrocnida from deep water. The arms in Astero- 

 porpa are unb ranched, while those of Astrocnida from Stations 

 55, in — fathoms, and 89, in 80 fathoms, are slightly branched at 

 the tip and ornamented throughout with transverse elevated 

 bands of light gray alternating with depressed bands of deep 

 chocolate. These circular ridges are beset with thorny stubby 

 spines. The bases of the arms are swollen, and the swellings in- 

 vade the dorsal surface of the disk in the center of which is a 

 star shaped area formed by similar ridges. Another simple 

 armed basket fish, Astroschema oligactes, is from Station 7, and 

 is orange colored and exceedingly hispid all over, feeling like 

 coarse sandpaper, wiry in texture, with arms tapering to a mere 

 coiled thread which can wind itself closely around a support and 

 cling there most tenaciously. A certain flabellate red and white 



