NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE. 175 



very important one, since a pedicellaria is only a spine peculiarly modified. But it may 

 be said that their supplementary character and abnormal shape give these parasol spines 

 the position of what used to be carefully distinguished as pedicellariae. 



" Ophiotholia is indeed an Ophiornyces with this peculiar character, while Ophiohelus is 

 an allied but distinct form. Both may be considered low genera, with elaborate appen- 

 dages. The want of radial shields and imperfect calcification suggest their position, 

 which is confirmed by the embryonic character of their arm-bones, which are longi- 

 tudinally divided into the two halves they theoretically should have. These bones are so 

 large and independent, even close to the tip of the arm, that it is not easy to understand 

 how they can be spurs of the small side arm-plates, as they should be according to one 

 theory. Unfortunately I could nowhere find a terminal joint, which would have shown 

 how the arm-bones take their rise. 



"These soft little creatures illustrate how small an influence certain kinds of the 

 notorious ' environment ' have in determining structure. Of the two species of this abnor- 

 mal Ojihiohelus, one comes from 82 fathoms, near the Barbados, and the other from 1350 

 fathoms, near the Fiji Islands. When we consider the differences of locality, light, 

 pressure, and temperature (differences which are supposed to create varieties, or species 

 so called), between these two Stations, we may well be a little sceptical as to the potency 

 of such environment. 



" These genera stand quite apart from others of the family, and call for diligent renewal 

 of the endless search after those constantly increasing missing links." 



The Azores. 



The ship only remained at the anchorage in Horta Bay, Fayal, from 4.45 p.m. on the 

 1st July till 11 A.M. on the 2nd, as, in consequence of small-pox being prevalent in the 

 port, it was deemed advisable not to prolong the visit. 



The Naturalists made short visits to the shore in the evening of the 1st and morn- 

 ing of the 2nd July. Horta is beautifully situated in a nook surrounded by volcanic 

 hills, some of which are wooded to the top ; one crater close to the shore is very conspicu- 

 ous, and is cut into by the waves. The town is thoroughly Portuguese, and is built along 

 the shore of a wide bay. 



The afternoon of the 2nd July was spent in dredging in 50, 90, and 450 fathoms, in 

 the straits between Pico and Fayal ; a large number of animals were procured, very 

 many of which have turned out to be new species (see Sheet 10). 



The deposit was a volcanic mud, containing pumice, fragments of volcanic rock, 

 plagioclase, sanidine, augite, magnetite, hornblende, biotite, and pelagic and other Fora- 

 minifera, Pteropods and other Molluscs, Coccoliths, Polyzoa, Serpula-tuhes, and a few 



