ON THE FRENCH DEEP-SEA EXPLORATION IN THE BAY OF BISCAY. 389 



Subsequently the Challenger dredged it in several spots, and as far south, 

 as midway 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 1,160 metres) leads us to hope that hereafter 

 it may even be added to the British Fauna. 



Echiuodermata, as is usual in deep-sea di-edgings, were numerous. Of 

 Holotliuroidea there was a form entirely unknown to me furnished with 

 only two rows of suckers remarkable for their great size, and ten tenta- 

 cula ; a Molpadia, which has generally been regarded as an Arctic genus ; 

 and EcJiinocncumis ti/jnca, an abundant Norwegian type, of which the pre- 

 sence 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 306 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-thii'ds of them to be the rosy-coloured 

 HoIotJncria tremula of Norway, and 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 Thom- 

 son ; Calveria hystrix (or an allied species), of which several fine specimens 

 occurred; Pourtalesia Jeffrey si ; and a new Spatangoid, remarkable on 

 account of its globular form, and referable perhaps to the genus Agassizia. 



Starfishes were not numerous in species, and gave us nothing new. 

 Arcliaster tenidspina and hifrons, Astropecter Andromeda, and Brisinga 

 coronata were the rarer forms. 



The Brittle Stars 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 require attentive study, and cannot 

 be determined at a glance. It will suflBce, therefore, to say that there 

 were many which were not familiar to me, belonging apparently to the 

 genera Asteromjx (parasitic on Isis, rather small, and possibly distinct from 

 Loveni), Ophiomusium, Ophiacantha, Ophioscolex, together with a remark- 

 ably large and fine form which I was unable to refer to any genus known 

 to me. An Ophiurid was also met with which I had discovered last year 

 in Norway, and which I propose to name Amphiura Danielsseni. 



Sponges, both with respect to the number of species and of specimens 

 obtained, were scarce. Thenea muricata, Bowerbank {=WyviUethom- 

 sonia Wallicliii, P. "Wright) and Holtenia Carpenteri, W. Thomson, only 

 occurred in a young state ; and a little bunch of the strong coarse spicula 

 of the great Askonema Settihalense, Kent, came up wrapped round the 

 dredging line ; a single Hyalonema Imsitanicum, Bocage, was dredged in 

 about 600 fathoms ; and a fine, though dead, specimen of Farrea or Lefroy- 

 ella was procured, though unfortunately in fragments. 



The Foraminifera of course could not, from their minute size, be 

 examined as they were dredged, but among the larger forms noticed in 

 the sieves were many very interesting and recently described types. 

 Foremost among these were the largest and most perfect examples of the 

 beautiful Orhitolites temiissimus, Carpenter, I had ever seen ; they equalled 

 a sixpence in size, and were dredged in about 1200 fathoms (July 20) ; 

 and the very remarkable thread-like Bathysiphon filiformis, G. O. Sars, 



