108 Rev. A. M. Norman on the Genera and 



1845. Amphiura Chiajii, Forbes, Trans. Linn. Soc. vol. xix. p. 151, pi. 14. 

 figs. 14-18. 



1857. AmphiuraChiajii, Sars, Bidrag til Kundsk. omMiddlehavtts Littoral- 



Fauna, p. 86, pi. 1. figs. 8-10. 



1858. Amphiura Chiaaei, Lutken, Addit. ad hist. Ophiuridarum, Forste 



Afdeling, p. 57, pi. 2. fig. 12. 

 18G2. Amphiura Chiajii, Dujardin & Hupe, Histoire Naturelle des Zoo- 

 phytes Echinodermes, p. 253. 



Disk covered with small scales, and having a central and five 

 surrounding scales in the form of a rosette, larger than the 

 rest; radiating scales triangular, diverging; under surface of 

 disk not membranous, closely covered with scales of similar 

 character to those of the upper surface. Arms extremely long 

 and very slender ; spines 4-6 (rarely 7) on each lateral plate, 

 all of them simple. Two papillary spines to each tentacular 

 pore. 



This species ranges from the iEgean to the Scandinavian 

 seas, and on our own coast is far more common than either A. 

 filiformis or A. brachiata, with both of which, however, it has 

 frequently been confounded. Like A. filiformis, it inhabits mud 

 in the coralline zone; and not unfrequently the two species are 

 found in company. Judging from Forbes's description and 

 figure, we are inclined to regard his Ophiocoma punctata as the 

 young of the present species. Forbes's type specimen was pre- 

 sented to the British Museum, but would appear to have been 

 lost. The tablet which we found to be marked " Ophiocoma 

 punctata" and which bears on its back a little label in Forbes's 

 own handwriting, has mounted upon it, instead of the type 

 Ophiocoma punctata, a specimen of Ophiocoma nigral Sir John 

 Dalyell (' Powers of theCreatorDisplayed/&c.,vol.i.l851,p.H8, 

 pi. 29) has also described and figured Ophiocoma nigra under 

 the name of Ophiura punctata. It is highly probable that he 

 procured his erroneous specific name from an examination of the 

 misleading specimen in the British Museum. It need scarcely 

 be added that Forbes's obscure species bears not the slightest 

 resemblance to O. nigra, with which it has thus been confused. 

 The name O. punctata has precedence in point of date over 

 A. Chiajii; but as there is some degree of doubt respecting the 

 identity of the former with the latter, as both were described by 

 the same author, and as A. Chiajii has been generally adopted, 

 it seems desirable that that name should be permanently re- 

 tained for the species. 



Shetland; Durham and Northumberland coasts; Clyde (Nor- 

 man) ; Inverary and Oban (Mr. D. Robertson); "Hebrides" 

 (Forbes). 



A. Chiajii may at once be distinguished from A. filiformis by 

 the absence of anchor-headed spines, and by the presence of the 



