\ 



THE OPHIURID^. 



I. INTRODUCTION. 



i 



i 



« 



The total number of species of Ophiurids from the " Albatross " 

 Expedition is sixty-six. Of these one genus and fifty-three species are 

 new. This is truly an astonishingly great number of new species, but such 

 is the case almost everywhere, where more careful researches are made. 

 We need only name the " Blake," the " Caudan," and the " Investi- 

 gator." This gives an idea of what riches of forms must be found in the 

 immense regions of the great oceans, which are still almost unknown. 

 There are now known about one thousand species of Ophiurans. We may 

 safely say that, when all the great oceans and all the tropical shores have 

 been sufficiently well investigated, the number will have increased to 



about double. 



The " Challenger " Expedition got only seven species of Ophiurans in 

 the part of the Pacific between Juan Fernandez and Valparaiso (Stations 



r 



296, 298, 299), namely : OphioglyphaLacazei Lym., OjMomusium Lymani Wyv. 

 Thoms., 0. armigerum Lym., Amphilepis patens Lym., Opyhiacantlia cosmica 

 Lym., 0. scntosa Lym., and Ophiotholia siippliccms Lym. Of these we have 

 found only three among the ^^ Albatross " Ophiurida3 : OjMomusmm Lymani^ 

 Amphilepis patens, and Opliiacantha cosmica. Further, OpUacantlia Normani 

 Lym,, which was taken by the '^Challenger" in the eastern part of the 

 Pacific, is found in great numbers among the '^ Albatross " Ophiurida). 



L 

 w 



M 



The following species were taken by the " Albatross" Expedition : 



1. Ophloderma panamensis Ltk. 



6. Ophiernus annectens n. sp. 



2. 



variegata Ltk. 



7. 



polyporus ii. sp. 



3. Ophiozona contigua n. Sp. 



4. alba n. Sp. 



5. Ophiernus seminudus n. sp 



8. Gymnophiura mollis n. g., n. sp, 



9. 



coerulescens n. sp. 



10. Ophioglypha superba n. sp. 



