456 



THE DEPTHS OF Till: SEA. 



[chap. IX. 



numerous, for species of Asteracanthion, Cribrella, 

 Asteriscus, and Ophidiaster are as abundant as they 

 are at lesser depths ; but as we go down new species 

 with tesselated mailing on the disk and massive 

 marginal plates seem to be perpetually added. In 

 our own seas some few very characteristic forms, 

 such as Astrogonium phrygianiiw. and Archaster 

 andromeda and parellii, are on the verge of the deep 

 water, and are now and then taken at the outer 

 limit of shore dredging, or on fishing-lines; while in 

 the deep water all along the north and west of Scot- 

 land Astrogonium granulare, Archaster tenuispinus, 

 and Astropecten arcticus abound, and the dredge 

 is enriched from time to time with examples of such 

 forms as Archaster bifrons (Fig. 74), A. vexillifer, and 

 Astrogonium longimanum, Mobius. Many additions 

 have been made to the singular little group of which 

 Pteraster may be taken as a type, but I am inclined 



to think that these are to 

 be referred along with most 

 of the characteristic Ophiu- 

 ridans rather to a fauna in- 

 habiting median depths, and 

 coming within range of the 

 naturalist's dredge on the 

 coast of Scandinavia, than 

 to the abvssal fauna: and 



Solaster fareifer, Yon Dubem «' 



Km. 



m5.M, R i869.) 0ralaspect ' Naturalsize ' the same may be said of a 



few other forms, such as 

 Solaster furcifer (Fig. 75), and Pedicellaster typicus 

 which, although beyond the 200-fathom line on the 

 coast of Britain, do not appear to have a great 

 range of depth. 



