320 



MR. W. PERCY 8 LADEN ON THE 



It is interesting to note that out of twelve species of Aste- 

 rids from the Andaman Islands recently determined by Prof. 

 F. Jeffrey Bell*, only one — Archaster typicus — occurs in the 

 Mergui collection ; and out of seven genera, only two are repre- 

 sented — At chaster and Astropecten. 



Dr. Anderson has kindly given me detailed particulars of the 

 localities, which I append verbatim, not only on account of their 

 intrinsic interest, but as furnishing an explanation of the character 

 of the fauna : — 



" The locality in King Island from which the Asterids and 

 Echinids were obtained is a small bay on the eastern side of the 

 island, near its northern end. It is well sheltered as it opens 

 towards the north, and is protected by high land to the west, 

 south, and east, the mountains to the west and south rising to 

 an altitude of 2530 and 2125 feet. It is thus completely shut in 

 from the storms of the south-west monsoon. The bay is shallow, 

 as its depth ranges only from 2 to 9 fathoms, the average being 

 4 fathoms. Its bed is almost entirely covered with a deep 

 deposit of mud brought down by a number of small streams 

 that flow into it, especially at its head, from which the sea 

 retires for about two miles at low water, exposing extensive mud- 

 flats deeply furrowed by the channels of the little rivers. A few 

 small islands occur at the limit of low water, and off one of them 

 my vessel was stationed for about a month. At low tide the 

 mouth of one of the streams was close to the island, in line with 

 its seaward face, while another occupied a similar position on its 

 eastern side. The island was only a few acres in extent, and was 

 surrounded by mud-flats except on its northern side, which had 

 a rocky shore. Here at low water, with a freshwater stream 

 flowing out through the mud-flat on either side, sponges, corals, 

 and Alcyoniid and Gorgoniid Alcyonaria abounded, and were 

 partially exposed at spring-tides, the water bathing them being 

 richly charged with mud. The Asterids and Echinids were found 

 under these conditions, also the Comatulids, and the few Hydroida 

 and ActiniV, and the great mass of the IVlollusca described by 

 Prof. v. Mar-lens. 



" The 168 between King Island and the mainland, and along the 

 entire coaHt, from Tavoy Point to the Pak chun estuary, contains 



* Proc. Zool, Boc. Lmd. 1««7, p. 140. 



