GENERAL ZOOLOGY. 



37 



records four Ecliini, as in the coUeetioii of the Australian Museum, from 

 Lord Howe Island, viz. : — 



Ecliiuometra lucunter, Leslce. 



Strongylocontrotus tuberculatus, Laml-c. 



Ecliinostroplms molarc, A. Arjas. 



Breynia australasisc, Leach. 

 In. the subsequently published " Catalogue of the Ecliinodermata in the 

 Australian Museum,"* Dr. B. P. Ramsay mentioned the same species, and 

 also Tripneustes anqulosus, Leske, as occurring there. 



During our late visit we obtained the whole of these except ISchinostreplius 

 nolare, but in addition two other forms not previously recorded. 



The beautiful family of the Diadematidoe is represented hy Oentrostep- 

 haniis Rodrjersii, A. Agass, distinguished at once by the dark purple-claret 

 colour of the test and spines. We met with this magnificent species in the 

 pools and hollows of the dead coral on the large reef, and, if I mistake not, 

 rather more plentifully in similar cavities on the basaltic ledges of the west 

 coast, but no where is it plentiful. Speaking of those found in Port 

 Jackson, Dr. Eamsay makes the following remarks, which are equally appli- 

 cable to the specimens observed at Lord Howe Island. " These IJrchins 

 frequent the reefs and rocky shores just below low tide mark, where they 

 obtain their food ; they progress with considerable rapidity for an Urchin, 

 when once disturbed, until they find a secure retreat in some crevice of the 

 rocks, from whence it is difficult to remove them without destroying either 



the spines or test The peculiar pigment or dye contained in 



the spines and within the test itself is worthy of investigation. I know of 

 110 other species on our coast which has this peculiarity. In cleaning the 

 tests, the fingers and nails become stained with the pigment, which is very 

 difficult to remove." Their habitat at Lord Howe, at any rate, is between 

 tide marks as well as below. In a paper " On the habits of some Australian 

 Eehini,"t the Eev. J.E. T. Woods refers to the restricted habitat of this 

 species, so that its discovery at Lord Howe Island is of some importance. 

 He remarks on the species that " it clings to the rock with its powerful 

 suckers with the surface free. It is very careful to select as a place of 

 repose a very narrow cell with just room enough for its body." Our obser- 

 vations quite bear out the fact that it does occupy most peculiar holes and 

 crevices, but we saw it quite as frequently in open pools with plenty of 

 room around. 



The CidaridiB are represented by a Phyllacanthus, perhaps P. haeulosa, 

 Lamk. We did not obtain this, but a much damaged example has been 

 presented to the Museum by Mr. Campbell Stevens. 



Eeltinometra lucunter, Leske, is by far the commonest ITrchin, as it 

 appears to be also on some parts of the Australian coast. It was invariably 

 niet with in holes just large enough for its reception on the flat table 

 surface of the Coral-reef, when it became an exceedingly difficult matter to 

 effect the extraction of individuals. Of one thing I am quite satisfied, some 

 do not leave their cells but continue to enlarge them as their growth 

 progresses. This is obvious from the overhanging upper edges of their 

 domiciles, rendering the opening in some degree smaller than the Urchin's 

 test, and to effect the extraction of such, a hammer was requisitioned. This 

 habit of frequenting restricted spaces may, perhaps, to some extent, explain 



Catalogue Echmodermata, Australian Museum. Part 1. Echini. 

 t Proc. Linn. Soc, N. S. Wales, v, pt. 2, p. 196. 



1885, p. 45. 



