720 REPORT OP COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Amphipholis ELEGANS Ljungmann. (p. 420.) 



Ophiuroidea Yiventia hue usque cogfnita, Ofvers. Kougl. Vet.-Akad. Forh., 1866, 

 p. 312. Oiyh'mra degans Leach, Zool. Miscell., iii,. p. 57, 181.5. Amphiura eJegans 

 Norman, Ann. ami Mag. "Nat. Hist., vol. xv, p. 109, 183.5. Ophiocoma neglecta 

 Forbes, Brit. Starfishes, p. 30, 1841. Ophiolepis tenuis Ayres, Froc. Boston Soc. 

 Nat. Hist., vol. iv, p. 133, 18.52. AmpMiira tenuis Lyman, Proc. B. S. N. H., vol. 

 vii, p. 194, 1860. A)nj>hiphoUs tenuis Ljungmann, Ofvers. af Kougl. Vet.-Akatl. 

 Forh., 1871, p. 63.5. Amphiura squamata Lyman, Catalogue Ophiur. and 

 Astroph., p. 121, 1865 (non Delle Chiage, t. Ljungmann). 



Off iS'ew Jersey to the Arctic Ocean ; northern coasts of Europe to the 

 English Channel. Common in Vineyard Sound, 4 to 15 fathoms ; Mas- 

 sachusetts Bay; CascoBay; Bay of Fundy, low-water to 60 fathoms. 

 Greenland, 15 fathoms, (Liitken, as A. neglecta). Off New Jersey, 3G to 

 38 fathoms, N. lat. 39° 51', W. long. 73° 15', (Josephine Exp., t. Ljung- 

 mann). 



Mr. Ljungmann, in his latest paper, regards this species as distinct 

 both from the Mediterranean species {AmjyJiiura squamata), and the 

 Euglish and Norwegian species {AmpMplwUs elegans). The former I 

 have here regarded as distinct, but consider the latter identical with 

 the American form, the differences mentioned being slight and appar- 

 ently inconstant. 



Amphiura abdita Verrill. (p. 433.) 



Amphipholis ahdifa Verrill, Amer. Jour, of Science, ser. iii, vol. ii, p. 132, 1871 ; 

 this Report, p. 433. (See errata). 



Body plump, pentagonal; the interradial margins concave, and the 

 angles, at base of arms, incised ; margin thick, rounded ; upper surface 

 of disk covered with very numerous, minute, crowded scales, which en- 

 croach more or less upon the radial shields and run up between them in 

 a wedge like area; lower surface thickly covered with still more minute, 

 granule-like scales. Radial shields elongated, three or more times 

 longer than wide, curved; the outer end geniculate or bent downward, 

 forming a prominent angle above; they are divergent, and separate for 

 their whole length, or barely touch at the outer ends, and are more or 

 less concealed laterally and iiroximally by the encroachment of the small 

 scales. Arms or rays, 16 times as long as the diameter of the body, 

 or even more, slender, flexible, gradually attenuated to the tips. 



Six mouth-papilla? in each angle of the mouth, and two to four addi- 

 tional small rounded papillie, or tentacle-scales, near the extreme outer 

 angle. Two of the mouth-papill?e, on each side, are placed close together, 

 at about the middle of the edge of the jaw ; the outer of these, which is 

 about twice as wide as the inner, is flat, scarcely longer than wide, with 

 the end obtusely rounded or truncate ; the inner one is scarcely wider 

 than thick, oblong, rounded at the end ; in one case these two papillse 

 are united together. The third mouth-papilla is stout and rounded, 

 obtuse, larger and longer than either of the others, separated from them 

 by a considerable interval, and brought close to the tooth at the end of 

 the jaw, beyond which it projects inwardly and downwardly. 



