432 Deep-sea Trawling off the S.W. Coast of Ireland - 
ECHINODERMATA. 
By F. Jerrrey Bex, M.A., Sec.R.M.S. 
[Plates XVIII. & XIX.] 
The collection of Echinoderms made by Mr. Green is of 
very great interest and importance; it contains several excel- 
lent specimens of Phormosoma placenta, the type of which 
seems to be lost, and was, as Wyville Thomson reports, 
imperfect. The species of Hchinus present, as may be 
expected, considerable difficulty, and it is clear that much to 
be said with regard to them must be considered as tentative ; 
the range of variation exhibited by Spatangus Raschi is enor- 
mous, and the possibility of hybrids existng between it and 
S. purpureus will have to be borne in mind. Asterias rubens 
comes from 100 fathoms, a greater depth than any yet recorded; 
for the first time we are able to enumerate among the British 
deep-sea Echinoderms a species of the genus which Mr. W. 
Percy Sladen has lately described under the name of Nym4 
phaster ; Astrogonium is represented by a new species taken 
at 1000 fathoms, and there is an excellent series of’ Astro- 
pectens. There is a remarkable form from the same great 
depths which appears to be allied to Hymenaster ; but I think 
it well to postpone an account of it till I am able to compare 
it with those described by Mr. Sladen, which will, I hope, 
shortly find their resting-place in the National Collection. I 
propose in like manner to defer an account of a remarkable 
Ophinrid till I have had under my eyes the Ophiobyrsa 
hystricis which was described some time since by Mr. Ly- 
man, but which has not yet been deposited in the Museum ; 
our specimen, which is unfortunately both unique and dry, 
agrees exactly with Wyville Thomson’s description of ‘a 
very large Ophiurid with thick arms, upwards of 3 deci- 
metres long, and a large soft disk resembling that of Ophio- 
myxa, to which genus it seems to be allied ;” * but it does 
not correspond at all with another Ophiobyrsa, viz. O. rudis. 
I must not conclude these introductory remarks without 
giving expression to the opinion that one of the most necessary 
pieces of work now to be done in marine zoology is the inves- 
tigation of the deep-sea fauna of the south-west coast of 
Treland. 
A. PELMATOZOA. 
I. CRINOIDEA. 
Antedon bifida, Penn. 
Antedon rosacea, auct. 
In the present state of our knowledge I must refer to this 
* ‘Depths of the Sea,’ p. 124. 
