8 GOES, RETItJULARIAN RHIZOPODA OF THE CARIBBEAN SEA. 



ranging these synonymic lists the shrewd and expert indications of those authors have 

 in great measure been consulted, still a great deal of incorrectness and incomplete- 

 ness may be foiind by further criticisiii, for if oftentimes it becomes almost impos- 

 sible to ideiitify stunted and deformed specimens of this class, it is a still more ar- 

 duons task to recognize more or less defective delineations of them. Other designa- 

 tions of species besides those represented by figures are not touched upon, as those 

 which are inerely recorded, usually lie beyond the limits of scientific jurisdiction. 

 This review is intended to give a synopsis of the principal varieties and at the same 

 time a statement of the range of their geographical and geological distribution. 



Not many years ago the Caribbean sea-bed was little more than a terra in- 

 cognitn to biological science. While staying for a few years in the Island of St. 

 Bartholomew, one of the Lesser Antilles, I took the opportunity during 1866 and 

 1869 to make several dredging excursions. But being provided with only a very 

 scanty and primitive equipment I was not able to explore greater depths than 400 

 fathoms. The principal stations were between St. Bartholomew and St. Eustatius; to 

 the leeward of St. Martin and Angvilla; and windward off the eastern keys of the 

 Virgin Islands. The bottom-deposit designated as Globigerina- or Chalk-ooze was met 

 witli between 250 and 400 fathoms chiefly at the second station, the rough Coralline 

 gravel at the first and third stations in 300 fathoms. 



In 1868 the United States began to extend their coast-survey into the Caribbean 

 sea and on several occasions since have renewed their exploring expeditions on a large 

 scale combined with researches on the fauna of the sea-bed. Ihe beautiful results of 

 these explorations, for which we are indebted chiefly to the unremitting exertions of 

 the lamented eminent American naturalist Coimt de Pourtalés, have been made known 

 during the last decade ^rincipally through the Catalogue and Bulletin of the Museum of 

 Comparative Zoology, Harvard College, Cambridge Massachusetts. 



The »Challengers» famous expedition has also largely contributed to our knowledge 

 of these localities. 



My own more modest coUections have been partly reviewed by Professor S. Loven, 

 Professor G. Lindström, Dr. A. Ljungman and Professor G. O. Sars. 



The following are the more important papers dealing Avith this local fauna: 

 1870 — 71: Crustacea by VV. Stimpson: Bulletin Mus. compar. zool. Harvard Col- 

 lege. 2. p. 109. 

 1871: Deep-sea Corals by de Pourtalés. Illustr. Catalogue Mus. compar. zool. 

 Harvard College, N:o 4. 

 » Brachiopoda by W. H. Dall: Bullet. Mus. compar. zool. Harv. Coll, 3. p. 1. 

 » Ophiuridea by A. Ljungman: Ofversigt af Kgl. Vet. Ak. Handlingar p. 615. 

 » Cumacea by G. O. Sars, ibid. p. 803. 



» Bryozoa by F. A. Smitt: Kgl. Vet. Ak. Handl. (n. s.) 10, N:oll; 11, N:o 4. 

 1874: Etudes sur les Eckinoidées par S. Loven: Kgl. Vet. Ak. Handl. (n. s-) 11, 

 No: 7. 

 » Echini, Crinoids, Corals by Al. Agassiz and de Pourtalés: Illustr. Catal. 

 Mus. comp. zool. Harv. Coll. N:o 8. 1. 



