32 



General Distribution. — ^The type specimen was taken by the 

 Talisman ofT Cape Cantin, on the west coast of Morocco, and 

 and another individual of the species was captured by the 

 Princesse Alice in the Mediterranean, south of Majorca. 



Irish Distribution. — 

 Helga. — 



S. R. 335—12 V '06.-51° 12' 30"-51° 17' 30" N., 12° 



8'-12° 16' W. 893-673 fms. Trawl.— One, ca. 



18 mm. 

 S. R. 397—2 II '07.-51° 46' N., 12° 5' W., 549-646 



fms. Trawl. — One 13-5 mm, 

 S. R. 443—16-17 V '07.-51° 28' N., 12° 5' W. 



Soundings 683 fms. Midwater otter tra 10-500 fms. 



Temp, at surface 11-65° C. Salinity 34-96 %o-~~ 



One, 35 mm. 

 S. R. 449—19 V '07.-50° 28' 30" N., 11° 39' W. 



Soundings 950 fms. Midwater otter trawl 0-700 



fms. — One, 15 mm. 

 S. R. 806—15 VIII '09.-68 mis. W. i N. of Tearaght 



Light. Soundings 634-651 fms., ooze. Midwater 



otter trawl 0-550 fms. — One, 24 mm. 



, I have referred these five specimens to Bouvier's species but 

 the identification is open to doubt except in the case of the 

 individual from station S. R. 443 which agrees exactly with the 

 original description. The others are absolutely similar with the 

 exception of the arrangement of the median abdominal spines. 

 In the five specimens these are arranged as follows : — 



S.R. 443 

 S. R. 335 



S. R. 806 

 S.R. 397 

 S.R. 449 



1, 3, 3, 3, 3, 1, 1, 



1, 2, 3, 3, 2, 1, 1, 



1, 1, 3, 3, 2, 1, 1, 



1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 



1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 



It will be seen that with the exception of the last two, the 

 arrangem.ent of the spines is different in every case. I have 

 placed them in such order as will best show that there is a dis- 

 tinct gradation from the first to the last. Moreover the specimens 

 from stations S. R. 397 and S. R. 449, in which the spines are 

 fewest are the smallest, so that the differences may be due, 

 partly at least, to age. 



Vertical Distribution. — ^As these organisms lead a free- 

 swimming life at a considerable distance from the bottom 

 it is very difficult to say exactly at what depth they were 

 captured b}^ the net. We may safely conclude that those 

 specimens which were found in the trawl were caught as the 

 latter was being hauled to the surface, and not on the 

 bottom, but there is no means of knowing at what depth 

 they entered the net. 



