1876.] Biology of the ^ Valorous' Cruise, 1875. 



215 



belonging to the remarkable abyssal genus Pourtaltsla. The specimen 

 seems referable to P.plnjale^ Wyv. Thomson. Here, too, was a new Ophi- 

 uridan belonging to that section of the genus Ampliiura which is devoid of 

 tentacle-scales. Of this section it belongs to the subsection* which has 

 the arm-spines simple (that is, not hatchet-formed as in A.Jiliformis and 

 its allies) ; and it may be distinguished among other characters from A. 

 Atlantica, Ljungman, the only other species falling into this subsection, 

 by having only three instead of six arm-spines. The present form may 

 be named Ampliiura ahi/ssorum, n. sp. 



Two young Asteroidea which occurred here, although they unques- 

 tionably have not attained their mature form, have characters so distinct 

 that we cannot refer them to any described starfish. Though differing in 

 all details they are alike in general outline, which resembles that of our 

 well-know^n Porania ijulvillus. In one case each angle of the disk ter- 

 minates in a large calcareous plate bearing a large central spine flanlted 

 on each side by smaller spines ; in the other case each angle bears three 

 spines which project upwards from the dorsal surface. In the organs of 

 the mouth and those of the ambulacra these two Asteridans are far 

 removed from each other. Like station jSTo. 12, this dredging produced 

 several undescribed Isopoda and Ostracoda ; and among the Foraminifera 

 are Glandulina Icevigata, var. gracilis, Eeuss, a Xodosarian which has 

 been already referred to as apparently identical with the Nodosaria 

 Schlichtii, Eeuss, Candeina nitida, D'Orb., and Discorhina Parisiensis, 

 D'Orb. 



AxJfELIDA. 



By W. C. M'Intosh, M.D., F.E.S.E. 



The Annelida collected during this expedition were kindly placed in my 

 hands by Dr. Gwyn Jeifre3^s on his return. They resembled in many 

 respects those recently examined from the Gulf of St. Lawrence, though 

 the series was in neither the same. 



Besides the Annehds mentioned in the following list, one Nemertean 

 is abundant. The colour is brownish purple on the dorsum, whitish 

 beneath. The short body and large proboscis distinguish it from JS'e- 

 mertes Neesii ; but it may be related to the Amj^liijDorus Grcenlandicus 

 of Orsted. The empty tubes of some of the Annelids are interesting ; 

 thus the Glohigerina-tubes are bristled with sponge-spicules, and the 

 latter are also used by the Terebellce in forming the processes at 

 the anterior apertures. A remarkable one occurred at a depth of 

 1785 fathoms, amongst the Glohigerina-ooze (station Xo. 16, ' Valorous '). 

 It consists of a slender tube (about the thickness of a stout thread) of 

 fine greyish mud, and having at one end an enlargement. The latter is 

 tufted with, what at first sight (under a lens) appears to be minute and 



* Fif^e Ljungman's paper on the Ophiuridans procured in the 'Josephine' Expe- 

 dition, OiVersigt af K. Yet. Akad. F5rhand. 1871, p. 643. 



