72 



BOREAL PROVINCE. 



array is derived from that part of Britain which 

 falls within the Boreal area. 



The Norwegian Echinodermata have been made 

 the subject of an excellent monograph by Von Du- 

 ben and Koren.* They enumerate two species of 

 Crinoids ; three of Euryales, a group especially 

 characteristic of this region in the Atlantic ; ten of 

 Ophiuridce, one of which is not known to the south 

 of Norway ; eighteen of Asteriadce, including a pecu- 

 liar Solaster, and species of Astragonium, Pteraster, 

 and Ctenodiscus, in all seven, not known as Celtic 

 forms ; thirteen sea-urchins, two of them confined 

 to the Norwegian seas, and fourteen sea-cucumbers, 

 of which three are not known out of Norway. The 

 majority of species are distributed all along the 

 coast of Norway, both south and west ; but several 

 forms common to the Arctic province, occur in the 

 latter district only. The crinoids, the species of Astro- 

 phyton (or Euryale), the Cidaris papillata, and Bris- 

 sus fragilis, are remarkably characteristic of the 

 region of one hundred and more fathoms. It is 

 worthy of note that extreme brilliancy of colour is ex- 

 hibited by the Boreal Echinodermata. For vividness 

 of painting, and elegance and variety of pattern, few 

 marine animals can equal the northern brittle-stars. 

 The cushion-star is of the most dazzling vermilion ; 

 and almost every kind of star-fish and sea-urchin 

 displays gorgeous contrasts of red, blue, green, pur- 

 ple, and yellow. 



* Vide Kongl. Vetenskaps-Akad. Handlingar, 1844. 



