4 BULLETIN OF THE 



It was on this line (from 968 fathoms) that wo first obtained speci- 

 mens of the eyeless Macronran (\Villema)sia), closely allied, if not 

 identical, as were most of our deep-water species, with those brought up 

 from great depths in the Atlantic by the " Challenger " expedition. From 

 1,920 fathoms on this line we brought up magnificent specimens of the 

 brilliant scarlet Gnathophausiic, and other gorgeously colored JNIacrou- 

 raus allied to those referred by Thomson to Astacus. From a some- 

 what less depth we obtained a gigantic Isopod closely allied to Aega, 

 measuring more than eleven inches in length and three in width. 

 lu the same trawl we obtained (and at greater depth also) several spe- 

 cies of fishes similar to those secured from deep water by the "Challenger " 

 belonging to the Macrourido; and Ophidiidse. One species was especially 

 interesting, resembling a huge tadpole with a gigantic cartilaginous round 

 head and without eyes. Some of the other species are \indoubtedly 

 identical with those mentioned by Giinther in his preliminary report on 

 some of the " Challenger " fishes. I am, however, unable to refer to it at 

 present. Among them were a couple of species of a genus with elongated 

 flattened heads, diminutive eyes, and furnished with gigantic filaments 

 fully as long as the body, extending from the tips of the pectorals and 

 from the lower caudal lobe ; these filaments probably have the function 

 of organs of touch. We also brought up from this line in deep water a 

 number of silicious sponges, among them Poliopogon amadou W. T., 

 Hyalonema toxeres W. T., fragments of Leporella, of which a number of 

 specimens were found off the coast of Cuba, as well as fragments of an 

 Euplectella allied to E. tuberea W. T., a large specimen of which had 

 been previously dredged by us oft' Bahia Honda. In 1,508 fathoms we 

 obtained a single fine specimen of Umbellaria in excellent condition. It 

 came up in a trawl nearly choked with ooze, containing, among other 

 things, several species of the remarkable deep-sea Holothurian family 

 obtained by Thomson along the coast of Portugal. These Holothurians 

 are large masses of jelly brilliantly striped longitudinally and trans- 

 versely with deep crimson bands, the mouth placed on the lower side, 

 which forms a kind of foot, as in Psolus and Cuvieria; others of the 

 group were perfectly transparent. 



On the edges of the Florida and Yucatan Banks, in shallower water, from 

 400 to 900 fiithoms, we ft)UTKl the same species of Echinoderms already 

 known from the exjjlanations of Count Pourtalcs in the U. S. C. S. S. 

 Biltl). Among them were several species of pentagonal starfishes allied 

 to the genera Archa.ster, Astrogoniuni, Ilippasteria, and the like, as 

 well tis many good specimens of Coeloplcurus, Salenia), Neolampas, and 



