THE ANNALS 



AND 



MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



[FOURTH SERIES.] 

 No. 98. FEBRUARY 1876. 



XI. — Descriptions of Species of Asteriidae and Ophiuridae 

 from Kerguelenh Island. By Edgar A. Smith, F.Z.S., 

 Zoological Department, British Museum. 



This is the first account of any starfish from the above locality ; 

 and consequently the very large proportion of new species 

 among the eleven here enumerated is not altogether surprising. 

 The specimens now described form part of the collections made 

 by the Rev. A. E. Eaton, the naturalist sent by the Royal 

 Society with the British expedition for observing the Transit 

 of Venus in the early part of- last year. The Asteriidaj were 

 all dredged in Royal Sound, at a depth of from 5 to 10 fathoms. 

 Further remarks on their similarity to boreal types and their 

 relation to other faunas will be made in a subsequent paper. 



Asteriidae. 



Asterias meridionalis^ Perrier, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 

 1876, vol. xvii. p. 36. 



Body six-rayed, reddish brown above, pale buff beneath. 

 The rays thickish, taperingly conical, convex above, rather 

 more than twice as long as the width of the disk. Ambu- 

 lacral spines in two series : the lower margin of the rays 

 with a double or triple series of short spines ; dorsal margin 

 with a similar row. Upper surface of the body and arms 

 covered with numerous short, blunt, irregularly disposed s})ines. 



Ann. & Ma(j. N. Hist. Ser. 4. Tu/. xvii. 8 



