PREFACE. 



The efforts which have been made of recent years to investigate the 

 Fauna of the seas surrounding the British Islands have supplied 

 large and important contributions to the Collection of Echinoderms 

 in the British Museum, which previously was singularly poor in 

 specimens of this part of the indigenous Fauna. Much time and 

 labour has been given to the study and arrangement of these additions ; 

 and it seemed to be expedient to prepare, together with the nominal 

 list of the specimens, a complete account of all the species hitherto 

 found in British seas — descriptive so far as to define the limits of a 

 species as understood by the author, and to supply at the same time 

 the means by which the collector could identify his specimens. As 

 no such guide exists, it is expected that much encouragement 

 will be given to the study of Echinoderms by the present volume, 

 and especially that the deficiencies which still exist in the series 

 of specimens in the National Collection will be supplied by those who 

 may use, and profit by, this work. 



ALBERT GUNTHER, 



Keeper of the Department of Zoology. 



British Museum (N. H.), 

 16th November, 1892. 



