'"liju-i"'] pro(;p:ei)IN(;s of the nvximonal museum. 205 



is only one point thai (Icscivm's sjx'cial inciilioii in tliis (onneciion, and 

 tliat is tlic, very wide distiibnlion wliieh it reveals Cor <',eitain deep-sea 

 species. 



Actinaiif/e rrrrillii, and Actinangc f<(stip<(ta liav<' l)een obtained by 

 the IJ. S. I^'isli Coinniissioii at various loealities (»lf tlie eastern (;oast 

 of the llnit<'(l Stales. The Coimer is recorded Ironi various stations 

 from off the coast of Nova Scotiii in tlie north to off (^ape llatteras in 

 the soutli, from de{)ths rauj^iii,t^ from 30 to 50(» fatlionis. .1. /'a.sfif/dfa 

 has been recorded from otf Martha's Vineyard from a, (h'pth of .'iOO to 

 OSO fathoms. In the Albatross collection these forms were obtained 

 from the following- stations: 



A. verrUlii: Stations 2701, 2818, and 2830. 

 A. fastif/ata: Station 2701. 



Station 2701 was off the coast of Chile; station 2818 off" the coast of 

 Ecuador, in the neij;hborhood of the Gahipagos Islands; and station 

 2830 off- the coast of Calitbrnia. 



Another form, Actinostola callo.sa, has likewise been obtained at 

 varicms stations on the eastern coast, rant^inj; from the Graml Banks 

 of Newfoundland on the north to Cape Fear, N. C, on the south, at 

 depths varying from 50 to C40 fathoms. This form likcAvise occurs 

 upon the west coast of America, havin/^ been obtained by the A {/><(- 

 fro.ss at stations 27!)2, 2807, and 2818, all of which are off the coast of 

 J^'cuador, and vary in depth from 302 to 812 fathoms. 



Since we have seen that species of Actinijc are to a ^reat extent de- 

 pendent upon external conditions, this wide distribution of these 

 deep-sea species is interesting. It seems improbable that they are 

 wanting in the deep water of the southwestern Atlantic; or, in other 

 words, that they occur sporadically upon the east and west coasts of 

 America. Future observations will probably reveal their occurrence 

 off" the east coast of South America, a portion of the ocean whose 

 Actinian fauna is still to be studied, and it seems probable that they 

 occur over the sea bottom of the western trough of the Atlantic; 

 throughout its entire extent, and doubling Cape Horn extend up the 

 west coast in deep water ^s far north at least as California. Since we 

 know that the temperature at considerable depths is fairly constant 

 and low, it may be sup])osed that over this wide area these forms find 

 conditions sufficiently similar, and have thus been enabled to extend 

 their distribution. 



