212 



The Irish Naturalist. 



October, 



Ophlura textu rata. —Common in all the deeper hauls. In one from 



13 fath. the dredge appeared to have passed over a battle ground of 

 this species, most of the larger specimens brought up (some with a 

 disk i in. diameter, and with 5^ in. spread of arms), having one or 

 more of the arms repaired by a fresh growth, slender young arms 

 growing out from thick stumps fully twice their diameter. 



O. albida, — Very common in the hauls from shallower water. 

 Ophiocoma rosula.— Frequent from 12 to 15 fathoms, and extremely 



variable in colour. 

 Urastcr rubens.— Rather rare. One 8 inch in diameter from 13 fath., 



two from 12 fath., and two from 15I fath. 

 Solaster papposa, — Rare. One vspecimen from 13 and another from 



14 fath. 



Astcrias aurantiaca. — Very rare. Only one specimen, a full grown 

 one, from a depth of 13 J fath., was brought up in the whole series of 

 24 hauls. 



Echinus sphaera. — Not infrequent from 4 to 15^ fath. One fine 

 example measuring I2| inches in circumference, without the spines, 

 was dredged living in 12 fath. N. E. of Church Is. 

 Amphidotus cordatus. — Very common, cast upon the sandy shores 

 at low water, but not once captured in the dredge, although the 

 characteristic spoon-shaped oral spines ere detected in many of the 

 hauls from deep water. 



No Special attention was paid to the Crustaceans, but the 

 following species of crabs were observed either in the 

 dredgings or by the shore : — two Spider Crabs, Sttnorynchiis 

 phalangium and Hyas ai'aneus, and one Hermit Crab, Pagurtis 

 Ber7ihardus, were common, appearing in almost every haul, 

 and sometimes in abundance, from 5 to 15^ fathoms ; the Porce- 

 lain Crab, Porcellana lo7igicornis, and two Swimming Crabs, 

 Portumis depurator and P, pusilli(S, were all three dredged in 

 15J fathoms, and the third again in 14 fathoms, but none of 

 these appeared to be common, and of the second only one 

 specimen was captured. Adding to these the ubiquitous Red 

 Crab, Ca?tcer pagurtis, and Shore Crab, Carci7ms viceiias, the 

 total of crabs observed was but eight. Only two species of 

 Pycnogons were dredged, A^j'w/^^?;/ r?//^?-?^;;/, already mentioned, 

 and Pyc7iogo7uim littorale. The first was brought up twice, 

 three specimens in one haul and two in another; of the second 

 species, only a single specimen was captured, in 13 fathoms. 



In conclusion, a few of the Skerries local names for sea 

 animals may be given. Ihese were all found current amongst 

 the Skerries fishermen in July last. The I.,impet {Patella 

 vulgata) is called Barnacle, and the Whelk {Bncci7iu77i U7idat2wi) 



