SCO Canon A. M. Norman on Opliiopslla unnulosa. 



XL.— 0[)hiopsila annulosa (3/. Sarfi), a British Ophiurid. 

 By Canon A. M. NOKMAN. 



Ophiopsila annulosa (M. Sars). 



1857. Ophianoplus annulosiis, M. Sars, Middelhavets Littoral-Fauna, 



p. 79, pi. i. %s. 2-7. 

 1859. Ophiopsila annulosa, Llitkeu, Addit. ad hist. Ophiuridarum, pt. ii. 



p. 133. 

 1869. OpMonoplus annulosus, Brady and Robertson, " Week's Dredging 



in the West of Ireland," Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 4, vol. ill. 



p. 356, pi. xxii. figs. 1-6. 

 1904. Ophiopsila aranea, Allen and Pace {vix Forbes), Journ. Marine 



Biol. As^-oc. vol. vii. pp. 169, 171, and 209. 



Although it is thirty-six years ago since OiMopsila 

 annulosa was added to our fauna, it remains the most recent 

 addition to the Opliiuroidea to be met witii in our inshore 

 waters. A few words on its distribution as now liuown may 

 not be out of place, as I am able to give two additional 

 habitats. 



1. In 1868, Professor G. S. Brady and the late Dr. D. 

 Robertson, when dredging in Birterbuy Bay, Ireland, pro- 

 cured a single arm of an Ophiurid unknown to them, and 

 they sent it to me for determination. This arm [I.e. pi. xxii, 

 fio-. 1) was figured by them, together with repro iuctions of 

 five figures from the plate of M. Sars, and thus the species 

 was fully illustrated, and a translation of Sars^s description 

 given in full. 



In 1874, accompanied by my friend Dr. D. Robertson, I 

 went on a dredging-excursion to the west of Ireland. Round- 

 stone was one of our quarters ; my chief object in going 

 there was to rediscover the gigantic form of Acera {Acera 

 hullata, var. Farrani, Norman, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist, 

 ser. 6, vol. vi. p. 68) which Dr. Farran, many years before, 

 had taken there, and, secondly, to procure Ophiopsila annulosa. 

 We were not rewarded with the Acera, but procured the 

 Ophiopsila. Dr. Robertson remembered the place wliere the 

 arm had been dredged. It was just at the entrance of 

 Birterbuy Bay on the west side, and very near the rocks. 

 A considerable time on two occasions was spent on this spot : 

 ao-ain and again the dredge would catch in the rocks; then, 

 when we imagined we had passed over a small scrap of sand, 

 arms and parts of arms would now and then reward us, and 

 at last a single disk with broken arms came up. 



2. Mr. A. G. More was also at Roundstone at the time, 

 and on seeing the Ophiopsila he said that he had dredged a 



