88 NOTES OF TWO DAYS' TRAWLING AND
been a matter of some difficulty. The descriptions are scattered,
and many of them are old, and the accompanying figures not
correctly drawn. Dr. Hoek, of Leiden, in his "Report on the
Pycnogonida of H.M.S. Challenger, 1873-76" ("Zoology," vol. iii.,
1881), attempted a more careful classification of these spider-like
forms, which, from the time of Linnaeus, have been variously placed
with the land spiders, Arachnida, on the one side, and by other
naturalists with the Crustacea. In the latest Monograph, published
last year (1891), by Prof. G. O. Sars, of Christiania ("Den Norske
Nordhavs Expedition, 1876-78, vol. xx. Zoologi, Pycnogonidea"),
detailed descriptions and drawings of all the northern species are
given, and the volume is a most valuable contribution to our know-
ledge of the subject, and for the identification of species; none
the less because it is published in Norwegian and English, in two
columns. So far as the systematic position of the Pycnogonidae is
concerned, Prof. Sars agrees with Dr. Hoek and Prof. Dohrn in
considering them as a distinct group (class) of the Arthropoda.
Of Tunicata we found nothing fresh; Cynthia and Ascidia
were plentiful as usual.
The same may be said of the Echinodermata. Ophioglypha
ciliata and the common Sun Star (Solaster papposa) came up in
larger numbers; and some of the latter were much larger than we
had taken before. We found them with eleven, twelve, and thirteen
rays, and one specimen with six rays only. I have endeavoured to
preserve some of these, and think I have succeeded better than last
time. The rows of radial spines are in better order, and in the
ambulacral groove many of the suckers may be seen extended. This
species is exceedingly variable in the number of rays; at the tip of
each is a little scarlet eye protected by spines, and the reticulated
surface is armed with aggregations of spines. These features, and
especially the madreporic plate, grooved like a miniature brain coral,
make this common species a most interesting microscopical study.
Annelids.—Of the Marine worms I am not competent to say
much; although a great number of the smaller ones were taken and
have been preserved, but they have not been worked out. A species
of Polynoe, probably cirrata, was extremely abundant, and of Nereis
pelagica, a few; the largest measuring 71/2 inches in length.
We also obtained one fine specimen of the sea-mouse, Aphrodite
aculeata, which is always a beautiful object, with its fringes of silky
iridescent hairs amongst the bristles.