4o8 



NA TURE 



'\_Fcd. 28, i! 



genera allied to Epizoanthus, were obtained, each with a 

 new hermit crab. Other genera of Actinians were rare, 

 owing to the few opportunities for attachment. The most 

 abundant starfish was a new species of Zoroaster named 

 Z. dioncdia:, found in i2co fathoms. An Archaster-hke 

 species was the most interesting, on account of its im- 

 mense madreporic plate. Several other species of Ar- 

 chaster, and at least one of Solaster, were also taken. 

 Starfishes from these depths belong to the two very oppo- 

 site genera Asterias and Archaster, or their near allies. 

 Opliionuisiuni lymain and annig^cruiii formed the greater 

 bulk of (Jphiurians, but we dredged, in smaller quanti- 

 ties, Opltu\e;lvpha co)tve.va, several species of Ophiocan- 

 tha, and a number of other species not yet determined. 

 Onespeciesof soft, flat sea-urchin was quite abundant, and 

 another much larger one was taken in smaller numbers. 

 Ec/units iwrvegicus, previously found only rarely in the 

 dredgings of the Commission, was obtained in great 

 quantities in 1000 fathoms. Several other species of 

 Echinus and a number of Spatangoids formed the best 

 part of the collection of Echini. Holothurians were re- 

 presented by many forms. One, resembling Leptosynapta 

 in form and in its anchor hooks, another similar to Mol- 

 padia, and several others having the form of the typical 

 Holothurian, will undoubtedly prove to be new. The 

 most peculiar species of Holothurian were two new 

 forms taken in great numbers from several localities. 

 They are new species belonging to genera described from 

 the Challenoer Expedition ; one will be called Benthoditcs 

 giga)itea, the other Eiiphronidcs corniita. We can de- 

 scribe them no better than by giving the names applied 

 by the sailors, Beiithodites being called the " lump of 

 pork,'' and "animated boxing-gloves," while Euphronides 

 was christened " Old Boot," and its resemblance to an 

 old, unblacked, low shoe was certainly remarkable. 

 ,^s the specimens of Benthoditcs tumbled from the trawl- 

 net, they looked very mucli like pork, and reminded one 

 of boxing-gloves, on account of their size and apparently 

 useless bulk. In the :j95o-fathoin haul, a specimen of 

 a Tunicate, allied to Boltenia, was taken, and a number of 

 shrimps. 



Several new and remarkable Cephalopods were dredged 

 during the summer. Pleurostoma, Bela, and allied genera 

 were taken in great variety and abundance. One species 

 of Pleurotomella was very large. A Dentalium, differing in 

 no respect from D. sfnolatiim, e.\cepting in size, it being 

 often nearly two inches long, was very abundant in from 

 1000 to 1500 fathoms. N/nu/a reticulata, Cryptodon 

 fernigiiiosits, and several other species had their range 

 extended as deep as 1 500 fathoms. Doliiim bairdii was 

 obtained, and several specimens of a species which differs 

 from Dolium only in the fact that it has an operculum, 

 which would lead to the inference that it is a Buccinum. 

 The MoUusca probably have more new species than any 

 other group. 



In several of the 200 to 400 fathom hauls, Calliostoma 

 bairdii was taken. This species is remarkable from the 

 fact that it is one of the few animals which, when taken 

 from the cold bottom waters, will survive and flourish 

 when placed in the aquarium. It is one of the few shells 

 found in our deep water which has a truly tropical appear- 

 ance. Many Annelids, mostly very minute, were taken 

 at nearly every locality. It is probable that many will 

 prove to be new. Hyaliiicecia arti/ex, a worm which 

 secretes a horny quilMike tube, was encountered in some 

 of the shallowest dredgings. 



Crustacea were represented by many new and interesting 

 forms, especially of shrimps, including many very curious 

 types. In 2300 fathoms we dredged a shrimp nearly a 

 foot in length, and an .Amphipod 3 inches long. Some 

 very odd species of crabs, and hermits furnishing types 

 for entirely new genera, were taken on several occasions. 

 Collossendes, that gigantic Pycnogonid, was dredged 

 many times, and several other large species were also 



taken. One specimen measured over 2 feet from the end 

 of one leg to the opposite extremity of the other. Not- 

 withstanding this remarkable length of legs, the body was 

 less than an inch long, and an eighth of an inch in 

 breadth. To support this great length of legs, a branch 

 of the stomach extends into the base of each leg. The 

 fish were perhaps the most remarkable, in point of 

 curious structure, aberrant forms, and marked specialisa- 

 tion. One, Gastrostoinus bairdii, forms the basis of a 

 new order, and is one of the most remarkable recently- 

 described types of primitive anatomical structure, and. 

 especially as regards the skull and branchial apparatus, 

 it presents a remarkable phase of specialisation. Iti 

 nearest ally is a Eurypharynx, described by M. Vaillant. 

 It is at present in the hands of Mr. John Ryder and 

 Prof Theodore Gill, the former studying the anatomy, 

 the latter working out its systematic position. Together 

 they propose to publish a complete monograph of the 

 species. Another remarkable fish has no external traces 

 of eyes. Most animals from the bottom have well deve- 

 loped eyes, although their use is unknown, for, unless 

 some such light as phosphorescence is common, they 

 must live in nearly absolute darkness. Some shrimps 

 and a few other species have no eyes whatever. There 

 are as many as fifteen new species of fish described from 

 the Albatross summer collection, most of them belonging 

 to new genera, while one or two families have been added. 

 The field of deep-sea research is as yet just begun, and with 

 what remarkable results. Hundreds of new animals, 

 belonging to entirely new types, have helped to fill up 

 gaps in the animal kingdom which had been left unfilled 

 after a thorough examination of all the shallow waters. 

 Such groups as Crinoids, for a long time supposed to be 

 extinct, are now found quite abundantly and in consider- 

 able variety in certain localities. And when the whole 

 ocean bottom has been examined as thoroughly as some 

 portions of the North .Atlantic, who can tell what 

 curious forms may be found ? 



The collections obtained have been placed in the hands 

 of the best .American naturalists. Prof L. A. Lee, of 

 Bodoin College, Maine, has the Foraminifera, Mr. Jas. 

 E. Benedict and Prof H. E. Webster the .Annelids, Prof 

 S. I. Smith the Crustacea, who will work up the greater 

 bulk, but will turn a few groups over to other naturalists. 

 Mr. Sanderson Smith and Prof H. E. VerriU will work 

 up the MoUusca, Alexander Agassiz the more important 

 Echini, and the rest of the Invertebrates will be studied 

 by Prof. V'erriU. It is not yet determined who will study 

 the Sponges. The fishes are being worked up systema- 

 tically by Prof. Theo. Gill, and x\Ir. Ryder is studying 

 the anatomy of the more interesting forms. 



IUlph S. Tarr 



AFRICAN SPIDERS'- 



THE paper above noted forms Part III. of an important 

 and interesting series upon the Arachnida of Africa, 

 and was first published in Annali del Museo Civico di 

 Storia Natiirali di Geiwva, vol. xx. pp. 5-105. Its subject- 

 matter comprises the collection of Arachnids formed by 

 Count Orazio Antinori in the kingdom of Scioa in the 

 years 1S77-18S2. Before entering upon the details of 

 this paper it will be well to notice briefly the two preced- 

 ing ones of the same series. Part I. (published in the 

 same Journal in 1S80) states that the object of the series 

 is to bring together all the existing materials in the shape 

 of papers and other works on .African Arachnida and 

 present them on one plan and method in accordance with 

 the following five zoological provinces :— (i) Mediterru- 

 ncan (e.xtending nearly to the Tropic of Cancer, and in- 



" Mt-moin- ddla S,>ciclA Ceograpliica Itathiiia, vol. ii. parte i)uarla, 

 pp. I-I03 (Roma. 1SS3). Speduloue Italiaiia nell'A rica Equ 

 Risultali Zoologici. IV. Anicnidi di Scioa, e ctinsid. 

 fauna d'Abissinia, per il Prof. P. Pavesi. 



suir .\racno- 



