No. 8. — Preliminary Report on the Echini collected, in 1902, 

 among the Hawaiian Islands, by the U. S. Fish Commission 

 Steamer "Albatross" in charge of Commander Chauncey 

 Thomas, U. S. N., Commanding. By Alexander Agassiz 

 and Hubert Lyman Clark. 



The collection of Echini made by the U. S. F. C. S. " Albatross " in 

 the spring of 1902 among the Hawaiian Islands is a very extensive one. 

 A preliminary examination shows it to contain no less than 2,450 speci- 

 mens distributed among 49 genera five of which are new, and 67 species 

 of which 36 are new. It was hoped that the collection would extend 

 to sufficient depths to show the connection of an oceanic insular fauna 

 with the surrounding abyssal region. Unfortunately, as in the case of 

 the Hawaiian starfishes, 1 the depths from which Echini were collected 

 by the " Albatross" did not extend much beyond 500 fathoms. Of the 

 126 stations from which starfishes were obtained, only 11 were in depths 

 greater than 500 fathoms; and of the 180 stations from which Echini 

 were collected, only 14 were in greater depths than 500 fathoms; so 

 that as regards these two groups of Echinoderms, the collections can only 

 be considered as representing the fauna of the Hawaiian slopes to a 

 depth of about 500 fathoms, and that at a comparatively short distance 

 from the shore, the 1000-fathom line rarely being more than 20 miles, 

 usually eight to ten miles, distant, and frequently, as around Hawaii, 2 

 much less. The species, therefore, naturally belong to what has been 

 called the Continental fauna in an analysis of the known Echini prepared 

 for the "Challenger" reports. 3 No dredgings containing Echini were 

 made beyond 1278 fathoms, and none of the typical deep sea Echini 

 already known from the Central Pacific, from the Panamic district, and 

 from the tropical regions of the Eastern Pacific were collected. 



The following species were recorded from the Hawaiian Islands pre- 

 vious to the visit of the " Albatross." Those which are not in the present 



1 The Starfishes of the Hawaiian Islands. By Walter K. Fisher. Bull. U. S. 

 Fish Com. Vol. 23, Part 3, p. 989. 1906. 



2 See Chart of the U. S. Hydrographic Office, No. 1368. 



3 The Voyage of H. M. S. "Challenger." Report on the Eehinoidea, by Alexander 

 Agassiz, p. 222, 232-237, 1881. 



