from the Bay of Bengal. 427 



surf-line to about 14 fathoms, almost eveiy successful haul of 

 the trawl will contain specimens of all of the following, 

 several of them in great numbers : — 



Veretillum ; sea-anemones with sandy tests or commensal 

 with hermit-crabs or i)or?jo^e ; Astropecten ; Nerocila^ Squilla, 

 Fenceus, Pagurus, Dorippe, Phili/ra, fykt's, Calappa, Mafuta, 

 Egeria, Doclea, Neptitnus, Gomosoma; Mur ex, Sepia', various 

 well-known Indian shore-fishes ; Hydrop>his, Enhydrina. 



These are the characteristic forms of this zone. 



Within these limits have been found an undescribed 

 Trichonotid and three undescribed Pleurouectids, two of 

 •which are examples of a new generic type. 



h. From 20 to 40 fathoms the hauls are usually small and 

 the collections quite cliaracteristic. Within these limits, 

 with the exception of the common spiny Murex and a few 

 PleuronectidfB [Psettodes erumei, Pseudorhomhus javanicus, 

 Cynoglossus oligolepis, and Synaptura quagga), none of the 

 first-mentioned forms have been taken. In almost every 

 haul specimens of the following will occur: — simple Turbinolid 

 Corals ; Stellaster, Clypeaster j Crangon, Thenus, small 

 Leucosines ; Uranoscopus cognatus, Platycephalus asper or 

 P. sptnosus, Brachypleura xanthosticta, Arnoglossus macro- 

 loplius, Lwops Guentheri, and sometimes Champsodon vorax 

 and Lophius indicus. 



Up to date the great majority of fishes taken in this zone 

 have been found to be new to the Indian record or new to 

 science ; and it seems very probable that the same will prove 

 true for the other groups. Unfortunately no continuous 

 readings of the bottom-temperature were taken; but occa- 

 sional experiments showed tliat up to 14 fathoms there was 

 no difference between the temperatures at the surface and at 

 the bottom, while at 23 fathoms the temperature at the bottom 

 was lower than that at the surface by 3° Fahr. 



c. From 70 to 100 fathoms the hauls again become large 

 and varied, but the forms begin to show a pronounced 

 bathybial facies, and nothing is seen of the forms which 

 characterize the two shallower zones. So far, although the 

 hauls of fishes have been big and varied, the only known 

 Indian shore-fish encountered has been llalieutcea stellata. 

 A successful trawling in this zone is most interesting ; and 

 from a rich harvest of marine animals — many of which are 

 either moribund or quite dead on reaching the surface — we 

 shall be able every time to pick out the following character- 

 istic species : — a peculiar Penseid *, the Oxyrhynch crab 



* Characterized by Prof. J. Wood-Mason as a most remarkable form 

 closely allied to Solenocera. 



31* 



