MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 63 



roufrli ends, and, unlike those of Astroschema, are nearly equal in size, and 

 not much elongated towards the middle of the arm, where they bear bunches 

 of minute hooks on their ends, and have a pedunculated look, owing to the 

 elongation of the side arm-plates. Color in alcohol, light yellowish brown. 

 Station 235, 565 fathoms, 1 specimen. 



OPHIOCREAS Lym. 



In Ophiocreas and Astroschema the mouth gives almost no specific indica- 

 tions. It is by the character of the skin, or by the nature of its granulation, 

 the thickness and ^ength of the arms, their comparative height and breadth, 

 and the form of the tentacle-scales and of the radial shields, that we get good 

 specific marks. 



Ophiocreas carnosus. 



Plate XVI. Figs. 435 - 438. 



Special Marks. — Animal covered by a smooth, soft, wrinkled skin. Tenta- 

 cle-scales like rough-ended but not clubbed spines, which are short even at 

 middle of the arm. 



Description of an Individual * (Station 308). — Diameter of disk 15 mm. 

 Length of arm 200 mm. Width of arm near disk 7 mm. ; height at the same 

 point 6 mm. Mouth-angles so fleshy and puffed as to fill almost entirely the 

 slits ; at the apex appears a small peg-like tooth ; upper teeth wider and 

 spear-head shaped. On removing the thick, flabby skin, the usual large ob- 

 long side mouth-shields are seen, joined their entire length, except without, 

 where they diverge somewhat to give place to the little mouth-shield. The side 

 arm-plates are long, narrow, and curved, and meet fully below, separating the 

 small, irregular, transversely oblong under arm-plates ; at their upper end they 

 support the tentacle-scales, and unite with the belt of thin scales which repre- 

 sents the upper arm-plate. Disk thick, rising a little above the level of the 

 arms, covered by a very thick, soft skin, which is especially wrinkled over the 

 side mouth-shields. The same skin covers the arms, and is there loose and 

 flabby. Radial shields narrow, rounded, thick and running quite to the cen- 

 tre. No tentacle-scale on first arm-pore ; the next five have one, in form of a 

 small, blunt, thick spine enveloped in a sort of skin bag ; beyond, there are 

 two, the lower of which, towards middle of arm, does not exceed 3 mm., and 

 has a rough, but scarcely clubbed end. Color in alcohol, brownish pink, ap- 

 proaching flesh-color. 



Station 308, 175 fathoms, 12-[- specimens. 



* 



The specimen described is not of the same size as the one figured. 



