18 PERCY SLADEN TRUST EXPEDITION. 



Following the habit that I have pi-actised for some years, I have refrained from 

 describing any new species of the genus Ophiothrix. It is certain that a number of 

 A-arieties have been described in this genus, and, considering the great variation seen 

 amongst specimens in our own seas, it is clear that the description of isolated specimens 

 is absolutely opposed to sound taxonumic principles. Mr. Gardiner has been kind 

 enough to allow the unnamed specimens of Ophiothrix to remain in the custody of the 

 British Museum, and anyone who sees leisure in front of him for ten or twelve years is 

 invited to undertake the work of revising that genus. 



The collection was carefully labelled, and I have, I think, invented a method which will 

 put into exceedingly small compass the results of a very laborious undertaking. I can 

 only wish that they could have done more to settle the problems which my friend's 

 expedition went out to solve, but, as was pointed out in the Report of the ' Alert ' five- 

 and-twenty years ago, there is for Echinoderms an inter-tropical marine fauna, and these 

 creatures naturally are found now in one island and now in another, so that they throw 

 no light on the relations or differences of the islands of the Western Indian Ocean. 



After the studies of the happily still * living M. de Loriol, whose contributions to the 

 Echinoderm fauna of Mauritius are so well known, it was not to be expected that many 

 novelties were to be found, but there is one fine new genus which I have ventured to 

 dedicate to this veteran in science. In his and the three other memoirs given below, 

 information will be found as to most of the species in my list : — 



Hartlaul), Dr. C. — Beitrag zur Kenntniss der Comatuliden-Fauna des Indisclien Archipels. 120 pp., 



5 pis. Nova Acta Leop.-Carol. Deutschen Akad. d. Naturf. Bd. Iviii. Nr. I (1891). 

 Loriol, P. de. — Cat. Raisonne des Echinodermes h. I'lle Maurice. GA pp., 6 pis. Mem. Soc. de Physique 



d'Hist. Nat. de Genfeve, xxviii. No. 8 (1883). [I. Echinides & Brisingaster.'] 

 Cat. Raisonnd des Echinodermes a I'lle Maurice. II. Stellerides. 84 pp., 16 pis. Op. cii. xxix. 



No. 4 (1885). 

 Cat. Raisonne des Echinodermes a I'lle Maurice. III. Ophiurides et Astrophytides [& Crin- 



oides]. Pp. 1-59, pis. xxiii.-x.w. Supplement [Echinides & Stellerides], pp. 60-63, pi. xxv. fig. 6. 



Op. cit. xxxii. 1st pt. No. 3 (1893). 

 Kcehler, E. — Echinodermes recueillis par Y Investigator dans I'Ocean Indien. Ophiures Littorales. 



70 pp., 4 pis. Bull. Scient. France et Belg. xxxi. (1898). 

 Ludwig, Dr. L. — Echinodermen des Sansibargebietes. 27 pp. Abb. Seuckeuberg. naturf. Gesellschaft, 



xxi. (1899) pt. 4. 



List of described Species taken by Mr. Stanley Gardiner. 



I. ASTEROIDEA. 



Enhinaster purpureus DR. ; CC. 



Acanthaster mauritiensis Praslin; Egm. 



Linckia lavigata SdM. ; CP. ; Coetiry Rf. 



„ marmorata Egm. ; CC. ; Sal. ; Chag. ; Seych. 



„ multiforis Coetivy Rf. 



„ diplax DR. ; SdM. ; Sal. At. ; Egm. 



• [This was written nearly a year ago : M. P. de Loriol Le-Fort died on the 23rd of December last. — F. J. B., 

 '24/4/09.] 



