2 



along the under-side of the arms, with their 2 rows of strongly developed water-feet or ten- 

 tacles, the presence of a dorsal madreporic body and of numerous pedicellarise) which tell 

 decidedly against such an annexation, and point rather to the proper star-fishes (Asterise) 

 for which reason my Father* also has expressed himself decidedly of opinion that in spite 

 of its different appearance it ought to be referred to the latter order. Nevertheless the 

 opinions as to the systematic place of this form seem still to be much divided; and Bronn 1 

 and also in later times Haeckel 2 have therefore seen no other expedient than to establish 

 for it an entirely new order, Brisingastra; as in the opinion of these naturalists it seems too 

 peculiar to be incorporated in any of the orders previously established in the class of 

 Asteroidea. At present therefore this remarkable genus stands completely isolated, without 

 connexion with the forms hitherto known; and even the fossile form Protaster, which is 

 considered by Asbjornsen as its nearest relative, exhibits in many essential points consider- 

 able divergences, agreeing in its general aspect much more closely with the normal star- 

 fishes. A more exhaustive investigation of this remarkable form than that given by As- 

 bj0rnsen in his preliminary description, must therefore certainly be highly interesting; and 

 has also probably been long desired and expected by the scientific world, in order that 

 more light may be thrown on the morphology of this highly enigmatic form; and on its rela- 

 tion to the other Asteroidea. The great rarity of the species first discovered, and its very 

 limited occurrence, only on one single secluded spot in the deep Hardangerfjord, where the 

 use of the dredge is connected with no small difficulty, has however as yet placed insuper- 

 able obstacles in the way of such investigation, for which abundant material is above all 

 things absolutely requisite. Every specimen occasionally taken up has been regarded as a 

 sort of ,,Noli me tangere", a precious object which should escape the reckless attack of 

 the anatomical scalpel, and shine entire and intact in the museum, as one of its brightest 

 and most costly ornaments. My Father has indeed subsequently (1. c.) given a number of 

 very important contributions to the morphology of this star-fish; but the materials at his 

 disposal, which only consisted of a fragment of the skeleton of the disc (the bucal ring) of 

 the skeleton of an arm and pieces of a dried arm, were too scanty for any thorough in- 

 vestigation to be made thereon; and his remarks, which are not accompanied by illustrative 

 delineations, are probably not very generally known. 



In the summer of 1869 my Father and I together undertook a journey (at public 

 expense) to Hardanger, chiefly in order to procure materials for a renewed study of this 

 singular animal; this object alone being considered worth all the expenses of such a journey. 

 - We succeeded, after repeated dredging in the place indicated, in obtaining several speci- 

 mens, partly in good preservation, of which one or more should have been submitted to ana- 

 tomical scrutiny. But unfortunately it did not fall to my Father's lot to execute these in- 



* Forhandlinger ved dc Skandinaviske Naturforskeres syvende Made i Christiania 1856 Pag. 209 



Die Klassen und Ordnungen des Thierreichs. 

 1 Generelle Morphologie der Organismcn. 



