N. off Stewart Island, 158 fath., 1 large specimen. — SE. off 

 Sabine Island, 110 fath., 1 small specimen. 



Ludwig (Ophiuren der Sammlung Plate. Zool. Jahrb. Suppl. 

 IV. 1898. p. 770) describes from the disc skin of Ophiomyxa 

 some small plates, almost quite homogenous, without the holes 

 commonly found in the plates (scales) of Echinoderms. «Glas- 

 plattchen« he names these structures. He rightly points 

 out that they are only a special development of the scales, 

 usually found in Ophiurids. — In Ophioscolex glacialis and 

 purpureus I find just the same sort of curious plates in the 

 skin (PI. II. Fig. 10). In small specimens they are little deve- 

 loped, not differing much from the usual scales, but in large 

 specimens only a small spot in the middle of each plate retains 

 traces of the original structure, the rest being converted into 

 a homogenous calcareous substance, in which mostly some con- 

 centric rings are seen. In the larger specimens these plates 

 are very scarce, in the smaller they lie closely together and 

 overlap as common scales. There may be some specific differ- 

 ence between 0. glacialis and purpuretis in this respect, but 

 I have not sufficient material for ascertaining that fact. 



27. Ophioscolex purpureas Diib. Kor. 



Düben & Koren: Øfvers. af Skand. Ech. p. 235. — Sars: Norges 

 Echinodermer. p. 8. — Bell: Op. cit. p. 134. 



Angmagsalik, 140 fathoms, 1 specimen. 



Possibly this specimen has to be referred to O.quadrispinus 

 Verrill (Results of the Explorations made by the steamer Alba- 

 tross off the northern Coast of the U.S. in 1883. Washington. 

 1885. p. 48) instead of to O.purpureus. It differs from the latter 

 species in the dorsal plates not being divided through a delicate 

 transverse line into two almost equal parts; otherwise it comple- 

 tely agrees with the descriptions of this species. As Verrill 

 does not say anything about the form of the dorsal (or ventral) 

 plates in 0. quadrispinus, it cannot be decided, whether it be 



