of Edinhiirgh, Session 1883-84, 
72 i 
(3) Comparison of the Faroe Channel Ophiuroidea with those 
from the Eastern Coast of North America. 
As regards the north-eastern coast of North America, the dredg- 
ings of the “ Blake ” and other vessels have made ns acquainted 
with a long list of Ophiurans from that region ; of these only such 
as are of importance for the question immediately in hand are 
enumerated in the subjoined list — 
. * Gorgonocepjhaliis ettcnemis^ V. 
^\Ofhiacanthct hidentata^ B., C., V. 
^Op)hioglyg)ha Sarsii, B,, C. 
„ ammitictca, B. 
„ signata, V. 
* \ Ophiopholis aculeata, B., C., V. 
^Ophioscolex glacialis, B., Y. 
* Found in the warm area. + Found in the cold area. Found in both 
areas, 
Y = Verrill, Amer. Journ. Sci. mid Arts, vol, cxvi, p. 373, 1878; vol 
cxxiii. p. 218, 1882. 
B=“ Blake,” Lyman, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. vol, x,. No, 6, 1883, 
C= “ Challenger,” Lyman, Zaol. Chall. Exp., part, xiv., 1882, 
In the first place, it must be noted that the water in which these 
species were found is not cold as compared with the cold water 
of the Faroe Channel ; the lowest temperature, that namely of seven 
stations at which Ophiacantha hidentata was obtained, being 38°-39‘" 
F. ; while the remaining stations range from 40J°-51° F,, which 
is as high on the average as the greater part of the warm area of the 
Faroe Channel. It is seen, too, that whilst five species are common 
to this coast and the warm area of the Faroe Channel, just the 
same number are common to it and the cold area. So that we 
have no ground for asserting that the fauna of this coast is more 
intimately connected with the cold area than with the warm; 
indeed, one haul of the dredge might suffice to turn the balance 
either way. 
I understand that the study of other groups of animals has 
shown such a relation to subsist, but we must await further investi- 
gation for any decisive evidence on the part of the Ophiuroids. 
