c Le Travailleur' in the Bay of Biscay. 435 



form and bright-red widely separated fins, a genus which 

 from the curved flaccid state of the polyparium appeared to 

 be devoid of all calcareous axis, Kophobelemnon stelliferum, 

 and an example of the genus Umbellularia*. This genus, first 

 discovered in the Arctic Seas in 1753, and admirably figured 

 by old Ellis, was lost sight of for 120 years, when it was re- 

 discovered by Lindahl in the Swedish Expedition between 

 Greenland and Newfoundland. Subsequently the 'Chal- 

 lenger ' dredged it in several spots, and as far south as mid- 

 way between Cape St. Vincent and Madeira. But the finding 

 of this most interesting animal within a few miles of the 

 European coast by ' Le Travailleur' (July 30, in 1160 metres) 

 leads us to hope that hereafter it may even be added to the 

 British fauna. 



Echinodermata, as is usual in deep-sea dredgings, were 

 numerous. Of Holothuroidea there were a form entirely 

 unknown to me (furnished with only two rows of suckers, re- 

 markable for their great size, and ten tentacula), a Molpadia 

 (which has generally been regarded as an Arctic genus), and 

 Echinocucumis typica (an abundant Norwegian type, of which 

 the presence in the Bay of Biscay was evidenced by a single 

 specimen) . A curious instance occurred of the meeting in the 

 Bay of Biscay of species hitherto supposed to be confined to 

 Scandinavia with others regarded as eminently Mediterranean. 

 The trawl had been down in 360 metres ; and when taken 

 up, out of it rolled one or two hundred huge Holothurians, 

 each about a foot long. It was at once evident that they 

 belonged to two species; and further examination proved 

 about two thirds of them to be the rosy-coloured Holothuria 

 tremula of Norway : the remainder, known at a glance by 

 their light-brown colour and flattened side, were Stichopus 

 regalis of the Mediterranean. They had apparently met on 

 this neutral ground, and were living together on the most 

 amicable terms. 



Sea-Urchins were represented by : — Echinus microstoma, 

 Wyville Thomson; Calveria hystrix (or an allied species), of 

 which several fine specimens occurred ; Pourtalesia Jeffrey sii ; 

 and a new Spatangoid, remarkable on account of its globular 

 form, and referable perhaps to the genus Ayassizia. 



Starfishes were not numerous in species, and gave us 

 nothing new. At chaster tenuispina and bifrons, Astropecten 

 andromeda, and Brisinya coronata were the rarer forms. 



The Brittlestars were of much importance ; for though the 

 number of examples was not great, the number of species (and 

 perhaps of new forms) was considerable. The Ophiuridans 

 * Probably Umbellula Thomsonii, Kolliker. 



