.,. 



100 THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA. [CHA 



fallaciosum, Fusus fenestratus, with abundance of 

 Caryophyllia borealis, and all the ordinary deep- 

 water forms of the region. 



The last station, 45a, gave us a most singular as- 

 semblage of Ophiurideans . Ophioglypha lacertosa 

 was in large numbers and of extraordinary size, and 

 associated with it were two most conspicuous species, 

 new to science ; one a large species of Ophiothrix, 

 coming near O. fragilis, but of much larger size; 

 the disk in the larger specimens 25 mm. in 

 diameter, and the span from tip to tip of the rays 

 275 mm. The colours of the disk are very vivid, 

 purple and rose ; and all the plates of the disk, and 

 the dorsal plates of the arms, are studded with 

 delicate spines. Notwithstanding its totally different 

 aspect, I had a misgiving that this might yet prove 

 only an extreme variety of O. fragilis. My friend 

 Dr. LUTKEN, however, protests that it is totally 

 distinct. On such a question I bow to his authority, 

 and dedicate it to him, doubts and all, under the name 

 of Opliiotlirix lutkeni, The second novelty was a fine 

 species of Ophiomusium. 



About mid-day on Saturday, the 31st of July, we 

 steamed into Queenstown. Having coaled at Haul- 

 bowline on Monday, the 2nd of August, we were 

 moored in the Abercorn Basin, Belfast, after a 

 pleasant return passage up the channel, on the 

 evening of Wednesday, the 4th. 



As it was necessary that her boilers should be 

 thoroughly cleared out after having been so long at 

 sea, the f Porcupine' did not leave Belfast till 

 Wednesday, the llth of August ; when she pro- 

 ceeded to Stornoway, her final port of departure. 



