RECORDS OF W.A. MUSEUM. 
io6] 
in which the different orders were represented in Western Austra- 
lian waters. As, however, the numbers he used were vitiated by 
the assumption that he had the whole of the Museum collection 
before him, with his permission the numbers have been removed 
from the paper as written by him and the true totals set out in this 
place. 
It seems better to consider the collection in two portions. 'I'he 
fir.st of these has been slowly accumulating for a number of years 
and is composed of specimens found on the shore in various parts 
of the State and on the leefs of the Abrolhos Islands. Excluding 
specimens too imperfect for complete identification, 46 species are 
represented distributed among the different classes thus; Crinoids 
7, Asteroids 16, Ophiurans 2, Echini 15, Holothurians 6. 
The second portion of the collection consists of the specimens 
trawled by the Endeavour in depths varying from ig to 120 
fathoms, on the slope of the Continental shelf ; most of these come 
from a depth of more than 50 fathoms. It contains 36 species 
distributed thus : Crinoids 12, Asteroids 7, Ophiurans 10, Echini 
7. Only 7 species are represented in both portions of the collection. 
It is doubtful whether these numbers give a true idea of the 
real proportions in which the classes occur in Western Australian 
waters. The first portion of the collection is evidently a selected 
one, the larger and more striking Echini and Asteroids predominate. 
Holothurians have a commercial interest, whilst some of the 
Crinoids are very beautifully coloured. 1 he Ophiurans, which are 
mostly small and fragile, do not appeal to the ordinary individual 
for any of these reasons and are unrepresented. 
The collection which was made on board the Endeavour 
probably approximates much more closely to the true proportions 
existing amongst the forms found in deeper water, on a sandy 
bottom, though it is probable that here again the larger forms 
predominate unduly, as a trawl is not the best instrument with 
which to collect small and fragile specimens. 
The following table will give an idea of the comparison between 
these collections and that made by the Thetis on the coast of 
New South Wales. 
