CHARACTERISTIC 
decorus seem most vari- 
able species of a very 
variable genus. Off St. 
Vincent the specimens 
brought up evidently 
lived on a rocky bot- 
tom, and there the spe- 
cimens were undoubt- 
edly anchored by the 
terminal cirri, their 
stems having become 
fractured, as has been 
suggested by Thomson, 
at the nodes. Thus they 
continued to lead a semi- 
free existence, the lowest 
nodal joint becoming 
smooth and rounded, 
showing that the ani- 
mal had been free for 
some time, the nodal ter- 
minal joint being sur- 
rounded by its whorl of 
cirri, which eurved down- 
ward like a grappling- 
iron,' so that the animal 
must have been able to 
change its position at 
pleasure by swimming 
with its arms, like Coma- 
tule. Another species of 
Pentacrinus obtained has 
been named P. Blakei 
by Dr. Carpenter. (Fig. 
410.) It has a slender, 
1 [n regard to the movements 
DEEP-SEA TYPES. — CRINOIDS. 119 
ss 
STA 
Fig. 409. — Pentaerinus Mülleri. 3. (Carpenter. ) 
of Pen- “On the 1st of April we put to sea 
tacrinus the following extract from a let- again [from Havana] ; we steamed about 
ter of Lieut.-Commander C. D. 
will be of interest : — 
Sigsbee one and a half miles from the Morro 
(east), and at the third haul, in 177 fath- 
