SIR 0. WfVIFiLE THOMSON 0?T NEW LIYIXa CRICOIDS. 47 



Notice of new living Crinoids belonging to the Apiocriuidae. 

 By Sir C. Wtville Thomson, LL.D., D Sc, "P.R.S., F.L.S., 

 P.Gr.S., &c., Eegius Professor of Natural History in the Uni- 

 versity of Edinburgh, Director of the Civilian Scientific Staff 

 of the ' Challenger ' Exploring Expedition. 

 [Eead June 1, 1876.] 



Ois" the 25th of August, 1873, on our voyage from St. Vincent to 

 Bahia, we sounded in 1850 fathoms with a bottom of '■'■ Glohigerina- 

 ooze," and a bottom-temperature of 1°*8 C, in lat. 1° 47' N., lono-. 

 24° 26' W., about 300 miles east of St. Paul's Eocks. The trawl 

 was put over ; and when recovered in the evening it yielded us an 

 unusually large number of interesting forms : — with many others, 

 several large specimens of a fine species of Limopsis ; several Bra- 

 chiopods ; a small Umbellularia ; some remarkable Bryozoa ; several 

 specimens of a large species oi Salenia, differing apparently in other 

 characters besides its much greater size from the widely distribu- 

 ted 8. varispina ; an entire specimen of a beautiful stalked Cri- 

 noid which I shall describe under the name of jBatliycrinus aldri- 

 cJiianus ; and some fragments of the stem of another Crinoid, 

 Syocrinus hethellianus *, of which we afterwards took one or two 

 complete specimens and several fragmentary portions, at Station 

 147, lat. 46° 16' S., long. 48° 27' E., 30 miles to the westward of 

 Hog Island, one of the Crozet group. 



I now give a preliminary sketch of these two new Crinoidal 

 forms, in the hope of preparing a detailed description of these and 

 of the large number of undescribed Pentacrini which were among 

 the most interesting of our captures, on my return. 



I described and figured in the ' Depths of the Sea ' (p. 452), 

 under the name of Bathycrinus gracilis, a delicate little Crinoid 

 which we dredged in the ' Porcupine' from a depth ot"2475 fathoms 

 to the south of Cape Clear. I think there can be little doubt, 

 from the structure of the stem and calyx, and from the form and 



* As the stalked Crinoids are perhaps the most remarkable of all the deep- 

 sea groups, both on accoimt of their extreme rarity and of the special interest of 

 their palaontological relations, I mean to associate the names of those naval 

 officers who have been chiefly concerned in carrying out the sounding, dredging, 

 and trawling operations with the new species whose discovery is due to the 

 patience and ability with which they have performed their task. Lieutenant 

 Pelham Aldrich was first lieutenant of the ' Challenger ' during the first two 

 years of her commission ; he is now with Captain Nares as first lieutenant of 

 the 'Alert ;' Lieutenant George R. Bethell, I am glad to say, we have still with us. 

 LINN. JOUllN. ZOOLOGY, VOL. XIII. 6 



