55 
seum for some more material, which was very kindly sent me, 
together with a few specimens of Amph. securigera , which latter 
species I wanted likewise to study. On receiving this material I 
was surprised in finding, partly that a confusion of the two species 
A. borealis and securigera had taken place, partly that among the 
specimens sent there was one representing a third species of Am- 
phiura not only new to the Scandinavian fauna, but also new to 
science, viz. that described below as Amphiura Griegi n. sp. 
The reason why these species have been confounded, 1 ) evidently, 
is this, that no quite satisfactory figures have been given of A. 
securigera (— although it must be conceded that the figures given 
by Duben & Koren 2 ) show most of the specific characters quite 
distinctly —), while no figures at all have been given of A. bore¬ 
alis. I have therefore thought it desirable to point out more pre- 
cisely the characters distinguishing the said species, giving in the 
same time figures of both. 
The main distinguishing character of the species borealis and 
securigera is found in the shape of the radial shields and in the 
scaling of the disk (Figs. 3, b, e). The radial shields are narrow, 
linear and parallel in securigera , while in borealis they join at 
their outer end but are diverging inwardly. In A. securigera the 
disk is entirely naked, with merely a trace of scales at the inner 
end of the radial shields; in borealis the disk is distinctly scaled, 
the scales being very well developed round the radial shields, 
while in the middle of the disk they are more sparse, lying not 
quite close together and not overlapping. In the interradii the scales 
gradually disappear, so that the disk is naked towards the margin. 
— The statement of Sars (Norges Echinodermer, p. 14) that on 
drying the specimens of A. securigera very thin, imbricating micro- 
scopical scales appear distinctly, is in disagreement herewith. I can 
hardly doubt that in this case Sars must have mistaken specimens of 
borealis for securigera. In all the specimens of securigera that I 
have seen the skin is perfectly naked; on clearing the skin in 
l ) I have also seen another case (not published), where A. borealis was 
identified as A. securigera, and probably such confusion will prove to 
be only too common. 
5 ) Duben & Koren. Ofversigt ofver Skandinaviens Echinodermer. K. 
Vet. Akad. Handl. 1844. Tab. VI. 3-6. 
