Report on the Echinodcrms of North-Kast Greenland. 279 



figure them in C. assimilis, but witli comparatively fewer and smaller 

 holes." He was unable to state the number of the tentacles exactly. 



Since the supposed rediscovery of this species by Lût к en Cue. 

 minuta has constantly been mentioned in literature as a separate 

 species, though sometimes a doubt as to its specific value has been 

 expressed (Duncan & S laden. Op. cit. p. 4. Michailovskij. Op. 

 cit. p. 6). A more detailed account or examination of this form 

 has, however, not been given ( — the Ciicumaria minuta described 

 by Levinsen (Op. cit.) being quite a different species, Cucumaria 

 glacialis Ljungman — ), and the question of the validity of Cucu- 

 maria minuta is as yet undecided. 



As long ago as in 1892 I made a critical examination of the 

 matter and came to the result that Lutken's Cucumaria minuta was 

 nothing but the young Cue. frondosa. This study was, however, never 

 published. The question having not been taken up meantime by 

 any other author, I have thought it right to use this occasion to 

 publish the results of my previous studies, finding on a renewed 

 examination of the whole material that the conclusion, arrived at 

 then, was quite correct. 



A comparison of Lutken's specimens of Cue. minuta with 

 equal sized young specimens of Cue. frondosa shows that they agree 

 in all respects. Also in the young С frondosa the dorsal radii have 

 fewer tubefeet than the ventral, as is also generally the case in the 

 large specimens (Michailovskij. p. 6). The calcareous plates of 

 the skin are alike. As is well known, they occur in verj^ variable 

 numbers in the larger specimens of C. frondosa, and this also holds 

 good for the young, though to a less degree. In the young speci- 

 mens they are generally rather large and occur in comparatively 

 great numbers, so as to cover the whole skin, and even, in strongly 

 contracted specimens, to lie somewhat imbricated; in some speci- 

 mens they are, however, small and less numerous or even very 

 scarce, all gradations occurring so that it is quite impossible to 

 find any specific feature in the greater or smaller number of the 

 calcareous corpuscles or in the size of these corpuscles. Their structure 

 is the same, whether they are large and numerous or small and scarce. 



The number of the tentacles is 10 — also in the specimens in 

 which Lût ken was unable to count them. (Unfortunately Lutken's 

 3 specimens have by a mistake been put in a jar together with some 

 other young ('. frondosa from Greenland, so that it is impossible 

 now to state exactly which of them are Lutken's specimens; but 

 it is certain that these 3 specimens are among them, and as all the 

 specimens in the jar have 10 tentacles, this must necessarily be the 

 case also with Lutken's specimens). 



