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V. 



A LIST OF IRISH ECHINODEEMS. Br A. E. NICHOLS, 

 MA., BEING A REPORT PROM THE FAUNA AND FLORA 

 COMMITTEE. 



[Read June 23, 1902.] 



The first list of the Irish Ecliinoderma was published by R. Templeton 

 in the ninth volume of the Magazine of Natural History in 1836. The 

 next list was contained in the report on the Invertebrate Fauna of 

 Ireland (drawn up by "VV. Thompson at the request of the British 

 Association), and published in the British Association Report for 1843; 

 .a more detailed account of the distribution of Irish Echinoderms and a 

 few additional species were subsequently included in his " Natural 

 History of Ireland," vol. iv., 1856. At the meeting of the British 

 Association in 1858, a Report on the Marine Fauna of the south 

 and west coasts of Ireland was communicated by Prof. E. P. Wright, 

 M.D. and Prof. J. R. Greene, and in this Report is included a tabular 

 list of Irish Echinoderms (excluding Holothurioidea). 



Since the publication of this Report in 1859, no attempt seems to 

 have been made to compile a complete list of the Irish species of 

 Ecliinoderma, though a large number of species have been added to 

 the Irish Fauna as a result of the deep-sea explorations that have 

 been carried on off the western coasts of Ireland. These investi- 

 gations began with the first cruise of H. M. S. " Porcupine " in 1869, 

 and have since been occasionally carried on by various smaller expe- 

 ditions, during which the richness of the Echinoderm fauna was often 

 commented upon. 



In conformity with the British marine area, as defined by the 

 ^Committee of the British Association in 1888, the Irish marine area 

 jnay also be regarded as consisting of two portions, viz. : a shallow- 

 water district with a depth ranging from to 100 fms., and a deep- 

 water district whose depth ranges from 100 to 1000 fms. ; the boun- 

 •daries of the shallow-water district are the 56^ parallel of latitude ou 

 the north, a line half way between Ireland and the opposite shores of 

 ^Scotland, Wales, and England on the east, the 49^ 30' parallel of 



K.I, A. mOC, VOL. XXIV., bKC. li.] ^ 



