68 DE. p. H. CARPENTER ON CRINOIDS FROM MADEIRA. 



4. Antebotst DtJBENi, Bohlsche. (See the Report on the Co- 

 matuljB, Zool. Chall. Exp. vol. xxvi. 1888, p. 181, pi. xxxvii. 

 figs. 1-3.) 



The original of this species was obtained at Elo Janeiro, and 

 another example was dredged by the 'Challenger' at Bahia. 

 Some specimens from Madeira, kindly given to me by Professor 

 Loven, prove to belong to the same type ; and Mr. Johnson has 

 sent me others " from deep water, attached to corals and masses of 

 Ostrgea shells," in the same locality. Greeff's examples from the 

 Canaries and from the Equatorial Island, Rolas, in the Griilf of 

 Gruinea *, are doubtless of the same nature. They have been 

 described as Antedon rosacea, and I find some difficulty in differ- 

 entiating the Madeira specimens among the many forms of this 

 protean species. One of the chief characters of Bohlsche's type 

 is the presence of a minute plate between the first costals (second 

 radials, auct.). But this intei'costal plate is not well marked in 

 the ' Challenger ' specimens of ^1. Diibeni, though it reappears in 

 all those from Madeira, in which also the first two brachials have 

 sharp and straight outer edges. The latter feature, however, is 

 very characteristic of the Naples variety of Antedon rosacea, in 

 which, too, the intercostal plate sometimes appears, while both 

 peculiarities occur in examples of this type from Ilfracombe, 

 Milford Haven, the Shetlands, and the Earoe Channel. I have 

 mnch doubt, therefore, as to Antedon Diibeni being a good 

 species. The Madeira specimens are unquestionably identical 

 with those from Brazil, and this is a point of some importance, 

 as it adds another to the species of Crinoids which occur on both 

 sides of the Atlantic f. But I find a great difficulty in making 

 up my mind as to whether the numerous varieties of Antedon 

 rosacea ranging from the Earoe Channel to Madeira, or even 

 further, should all be referred to one species. It seems to be 

 even more variable than Antedon carinata and Actinometra 

 parvicirra, which is saying a good deal ; but I am inclined to 

 think that further study will confirm my present impression that 

 all these forms represent but one specific type, to which the 

 following names have been applied at different times : — 



* " Echinodermen, beobachtet auf einer Reise nach der G-uinea-Insel Sao 

 Thome," Zool. Anzeiger, 1882, V. Jahrg. pp. 116, 159. 



t These are Ehizocrinus lofotensis, B. Bawsoni, Antedon Esckrickti, A. quad- 

 rata, A. tenella, A. carinata, Actinometra ^ulchella ; and also Antedon prolixa, 

 if the Arctic species be included. 



