ECHINOIDEA. I. 



117 



the existing figures and the description (347) show distinctly that it is closely allied to grannlaris. 

 The other three species I have examined, and can give some new informations of them. 



Sphareekmus granularis (Lamk.). All the ambnlacral plates have a primary tubercle. The 

 buccal membrane contains outside of the buccal plates only few, small fenestrated plates, but they are 

 thick and carry pedicellarise , inside of the buccal plates there are numerous small, little complicate 

 fenestrated plates. No spines on the buccal plates. The globiferous pedicellarise, which have often 

 been described and figured, have a tubular blade without lateral teeth (PI. XXI. Figs. 35, 37); the end- 

 tooth is peculiarly furrowed, so that it is a little difficult to see the open canal on the upper side. No 

 neck. Glands on the stalk are found (were formerly only known in this species), the stalk tubular or 

 compact 1 ). The tridentate pedicellarise (PI. XXI. Fig. 34) with a well developed net of meshes, almost 

 to the point of the blade; the edge is thick with an indication of transverse series of teeth. The 

 valves are apart for about half their length, but the slit between them is rather narrow. The length 

 of the head tip to 2 mm . The ophicephalous and triphyllous pedicellariae of the common form. The 

 spicules in the globiferous pedicellariae are slightly thickened at the ends (PI. XXI. Fig. 12), btit not 

 really dumh-bell-shaped. In the tube feet only a few spicules are found just below the sucking disk; 

 they are bihamate with small branches on the outside at both ends -- quite as in Toxopneustes 

 pilcolus. In the buccal membrane, especially nearest to the gills, and in the gills, fine, genuine biha- 

 mate spicules are found; in the gills the usual irregular fenestrated plates are also found. 



Splicer echinus azistralicc Ag. agrees with regard to spicules and pedicellariae exactly with granu- 

 laris. Whether a primary tubercle is found on all the ambulacral plates, I cannot tell with certainty, 

 as I have omitted the examination of this feature during my stay at British Museum; but as all other 

 polypore Echinids that I know, have a primary tubercle on all the ambulacral plates, there can scarcely 

 be any doubt that the fact is the same in this species. In Challenger-Echinoidea (p. 106) Sph. 

 australia is mentioned from st. 162 (Bass's Strait). In British Museum I have examined the specimen 

 upon which this statement rests, and have found that it is no Sphcerechinus at all. The globiferous 

 pedicellarise have one unpaired lateral tooth, and recall those of <tStrongylocentrotus tuberculatus very 

 much ; otherwise I shall not decide to which genus and species this young specimen belongs, but rest 

 satisfied with having pointed out that it is no Sphcerechinus. 



Sphcerechinus pulcherrimus (Barn.), as well by its whole habitus as by its spicules and pedicel- 

 larise, differs so much from the other Sfi/itzrec/iinus-species that there can be no question of referring 

 it to this genus. On the other hand it shows great conformity with some Strongylocentrotus-spzcies 

 (intermedius and chloroccntrotus), and so it will be more particularly mentioned together with these species. 



Agassiz says of the genus Splicer echinus: this genus can hardly rank as more than a sub- 

 generic division of Strongylocentrotus; the presence of deep, sharp cuts in the actinal system and the 

 regularity of the arrangement of the tubercles, although giving to the species of this genus a striking 

 facies, are simply quantitative characters, the value of which a better acquaintance with the subject 

 will determine* (Rev. of Ech. p. 451). I shall readily admit that the difference between the deep slits 



') The so-called Globiferse (Hamann 184) can only be interpreted as globiferous pedicellariae, where the glands on 

 the stalk have been highly developed at the cost of the head. The head is perhaps even torn off; at all events it is a sure 

 fact that animals which are attacked by the pedicellariae, can tear off the heads of the globiferous pedicellarise. The so-called 

 Trichcelina paradoxa (Barrois. 28), as is a well known fact, is only torn-off heads of globiferous pedicellariae. 



OF THE 

 UNIVERSITY 



OF 



