316 



Part III. — Seventh Annual Report 



ECHINODERMATA. 



ASTEROIDEA. 



Brissopsis lyrifera (L. Agass.). 



Brissus lyrifer, Forbes, Hist. Brit. Starfishes, p. 187 (1841). 

 Brissopsis lyrifera, L. Agassiz, Des., 1847, C. R. Ann. Sci. Nat., 

 vol. viii. p. 15. 



Habitat. — Taken north-west of May Island; one full grown specimen. 

 We do not find any previous record of the occurrence of this species in the 

 Firth of Forth. It usually frequents a muddy bottom, and, where the 

 conditions are favourable, is sometimes found in considerable abundance. 

 While on board a trawler in Rothesay Bay in the early part of 1887, I 

 found among a quantity of fine tough mud brought up in the net a large 

 number of Brissus. I counted over sixty specimens, some of which were 

 comparatively large, as the following two samples show — 1st (?) male, length 

 69 mill., breadth 61 mill., thickness 38 mill. ; (?) female, length 69 mill., 

 breadth 56 mill., thickness 41 "5 mill. These measurements show a con- 

 siderable variation in the form of the two specimens, — the one being high 

 and narrow, the other broad and depressed and this variation was not con- 

 fined to the two specimens of which the measurements are given, but was 

 observable in most of those captured. I was not able at the time to 

 ascertain satisfactorily whether the variation was due to difference in sex ; 

 but that, however, is the correct explanation of it. They were all of a 

 dark purplish colour, which seems to be the normal colour of this species ; 

 but specimens of a light cream colour having the line which forms the 

 supposed figure of a lyre on the dorsal aspect dark have been sent to the 

 University from the Clyde. 



CRUSTACEA. 



COPEPODA. 



Artotrogidte. 



Cymbasoma rigidum, I. C. Thompson. 



Cymbasoma rigidum, I. C. Thompson, Journ. Linn. Soc. (Zoology), 

 vol. xx. p. 154, pi. xiii. figs. 1-4 (1887). 

 Habitat. — Two specimens of this interesting Copepod were taken a 

 little to the east of Inchkeith with the surface tow-net in October last 

 year (1888), and is the first record of its occurrence in the East of Scot- 

 land. One specimen (the first) was taken by Mr Thompson with a tow- 

 net at Orotava, Teneriffe, and he made it the type of the new genus 

 Cymbasoma. It has been observed in several localities since it was dis- 

 covered at Teneriffe. Mr Thompson has records of its occurrence in the 

 Mediterranean and near Jersey (Channel Islands), also in Lamlash Bay, 

 Arran, and Loch Linnhe in the west of Scotland ; but there is no previous 

 record of its occurrence on the east coast. 



OSTRACODA. 



CYTHERID/E. 



Pontocypris mytiloides (Norman). 



Cythere mytiloides, Norman, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. ix. p. 



50, pi. iii. figs. 1-3 (1862). 

 Pontocypris mytiloides, Brady and Norman, Mon. of the M. and 



Fw. Ostrac. of the N. Atlantic and N.-W. Europe, p. 107 



(1889). 



Habitat. — A few specimens among material from Aberlady and South 

 Bays. Ihis is a moderately common species. 



/ 



