186 A. E. Verrill—Marine Fauna off the New England Coast. 
in 146 fathoms, in the greatest profusion, over 10,000 speci- 
mens coming up at a single haul. s usual, nearly all the 
surface. The great abundance of this and other recent cri- 
noids at certain localities is parallel with the abundance of 
many ancient fossil crinoids, in particular regions. 
In fact, a large number of species, belonging to various 
zoological groups, in this region are found living gregariously, 
in vast numbers, at particular spots, while they may not occur 
at all, or only sparingly, at other stations, in similar depths, 
and apparently identical in temperature and character of the 
bottom. us, among Echinoderms, the large opbiuran, 
Ophioglypha Sarsii, occurred at stations 918 and 1026, in 45 
and 182 fathoms, in vast quantities; at 1026, between two an 
three barrels (probably over 10,000 specimens) came up in a 
single haul; the elegant star-fish, Archasler Agassizii V., 0¢- 
curred in great numbers at station 997, in 335 fathoms; the 
more common A. Americanus V. has often occurred in very great 
profusion, many thousands being taken at a haul, at several 
stations. A slender-armed Amphiura occurred in very great 
numbers at station 920, in 68 fathoms, but was seldom met 
with elsewhere. Many other echinoderms might also be cited, 
though affording less conspicuous examples. Several very 
large actinians, among them Bolocera Tuediv, Urticina nodosa, 
and other species of Urtieina, occurred in great quantities at 
many stations (924, 937, 988, 998), more than a barrel of them 
frequently coming up in the trawl. The pretty bush-like gor- 
gonian coral, Acanella Normani V., was very abundant at sta- 
tions 938, 947, 1029. Of the spiny sea-feather, Pennatula 
aculeata, we took over 500 specimens, at station 1025, and 
nearly a hundred of Anthomastus grandiflorus V., at station 
1029; both these forms are usually scarce. The coral, Mlabel- 
lum Goodei V., was abundant at 894, 895, 952, 938. The large 
‘and curious annelid, Hyalinecia artifex V., remarkable for the 
very large, quill-like, free tube that it constructs, must be ex- 
cessively abundant in many places, as at 869, 880, 1025, 1026, 
998, 938, for several thousands are frequently taken at a sin- 
gle haul, and sometimes even four or five bushels, as at station 
1032. Among Crustacea, such cases are also very common A 
species of Munida was very abundant at some stations (871, 
922, 941), so that 2,000 or more sometimes came up in one aul, 
and the same is true of several species of shrimp ( Pontophilus 
brevirestris Smith, at 865, 871, 878, 941; Pandalus leptocerus 5., 
at 870, 878, etc.); certain hermit-crabs, as Hemipagurus socialis 
S,, at 871, 874, 877, 878, 940, 941, 944; the maioid crab, 
Enprognatha rastellifera Stimp., at 871-4, 878, 921, 941, ete. 
One of the most striking instances was the occurrence of 
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