THE EUROPEAN SEAS. 



47 



and for the first time recognised in the Arctic seas, 

 during the passage of the lost expedition of Sir John 

 Franklin, through Davis Straits. I mention these 

 two curious animals, the true systematic position of 

 which is as yet doubtful and disputed, with some 

 stress, since they have been met with in almost all 

 parts of the ocean, central and southern, but have 

 as yet not been put on record from these regions. 



Zoophytes appear to be few and scarce, and those 

 enumerated are not peculiar. Echinoderms, on 

 the other hand, are not only plentiful, but so far 

 as star-fishes are concerned, there is a marked and 

 peculiar assemblage of species and even genera. 

 The Pteraster militaris, Ctenodiscus polaris, Ophio- 

 lepis Sundevalli, Ophiocoma arctica, Ophiocaniha 

 spinulosa, and Ophioscolex glacialis, are star-fishes 

 not known out of the Arctic province. Comatulce, 

 the curious and beautiful feather-stars, are, I am 

 informed by Professor Goodsir, on the authority of 

 a collector employed by him to dredge at Spitz- 

 bergen, so abundant in moderately deep water 

 there, that their bodies frequently filled the dredge, 

 to the exclusion of all other creatures. This is a 

 fact of no small significance, when we recollect 

 that the abundance of the remains of Crinoids in 

 some ancient strata, has generally been regarded by 

 geologists as supporting the notion of the prevalence 

 of a warm climate within the British area at the 

 time of their deposition. 



The marine calcareous vegetable, Nullipara poly- 



