saglS?!?,ift»ensrw.'»K»» » d' i Dr. R. Hartmje k H^M CATALOGUE OF THE BRITISH ECHINODERMS rN THE BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTOBY). BY F. JEFFREY BELL, M.A. LONDON: PRINTED BY ORDER OF THE TRUSTEES. SOLD BY LONGMANS & Co., S9 PATERNOSTER ROW; B. QUARITCH, 15 PICCADILLY; DULAU & Co., 37 SOHO SQUARE; KEGAN PAUL & Co., PATERNOSTER HOUSE, CHARING CROSS ROAD; AND AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY), CROMWELL ROAD, S.W. 1892. PRINTED BY TAYLOR AND FRANCIS, KED HON COURT, FLEET STEEET. PREFACE. THE efforts which have been made of recent years to investigate the Fauna of the seas surrounding the British Islands have supplied ft large and important contributions to the Collection of Echinoderms in the British Museum, which previously was singularly poor in specimens of this part of the indigenous Fauna. Much time and labour has been given to the study and arrangement of these additions; and it seemed to be expedient to prepare, together with the nominal list of the specimens, a complete account of all the species hitherto found in British seas—descriptive so far as to define the limits of a species as understood by the author, and to supply at the same time the means by which the collector could identify his specimens. As no such guide exists, it is expected that much encouragement will be given to the study of Echinoderms by the present volume, and especially that the deficiencies which still exist in the series of specimens in the National Collection will be supplied by those who may use, and profit by, this work. ALBERT GTJNTHER, Keeper of the Department of Zoology. British Museum (N. H.), 16th November, 1892. INTRODUCTION. ONE of the objects of the present Catalogue is to supply the students of the British marine fauna with a handbook by means of which, it is hoped, they may be able to recognize such members of the very well-defined group of Echinoderma as they may collect in their expeditions to the sea-shore or in more extended dredging excur­ sions. The study of Starfishes and Sea-Urchins, which may be taken as the English for Echinoderma, has long been a favourite pursuit with British naturalists, owing largely to the peculiar charm of one of the most popular of Mr. Van Voorst's well-known series, Professor Edward Forbes's 'British Starfishes.' So far as that volume is the work of an enthusiastic and experienced field- naturalist, it does and will always hold the chief place in the regard of every lover of Natural History, and what follows here must not be thought of as attempting to oust Forbes's book from its position. Unfortunately, however, the progress of zoological science is still marked by considerable changes in nomenclature, and from this point of view Forbes's work has long been out of date. On the other hand progress is, fortunately, marked by the discovery of new or exotic species in our seas, and by the union of forms which have been incorrectly regarded as specifically distinct. While Forbes enumerated (omitting the Grephyrea, which are not now regarded as Echinoderms) fifty-five species, there are contained in the present Catalogue one hundred and thirty-two ; but of the fifty-five, eight are here regarded as synonyms, one (Arachnoidesplacenta) is expelled from the list, and Psolinus brevis remains as great a mystery to me as to many others. The great increase in the number of species is due, chiefly, to the dredgings at depths which Forbes believed to be azoic. The inclusion of species known from the Faeroe Channel, which vi INTRODUCTION. may serve as the northernmost boundary of our area, is responsible for a considerable proportion of the increase ; but, so long as the species belong to groups which are not essentially abyssal forms, it is better to include than exclude them from a work which differs widely from that of Forbes in that it is published at a time when dredging at considerable depths is becoming a pastime as well as a serious business. In the preparation of the diagnoses I hope I shall not be thought to have erred on the side of brevity ; if I have been brief, I have done my best to avoid being obscure. Where a writer fills page after page with description he will indubitably fail if his object be to make himself intelligible to others. My first object has been to make every point clear, and I have not stinted myself in the use of keys, artificial or otherwise, which would show what-1 meant. If in the portion of this work which deals with the Asteroidea I have in any way failed to give an accurate account of Mr. Sladen's opinions or diagnoses, I must ask to be accounted innocent. I have devoted many hours to his Report on the Starfishes of the ' Challenger,' but in consequence of the minuteness of his descriptions of species, the frequent absence of any indication of the diagnostic characters of bis genera, and the repeated expression of views for which he does not give (I do not say does not possess) adequate reasons, they have not been as fruitful as I could have wished. That the number of species and genera which Mr. Sladen has created will be largely reduced I am convinced, and I feel confident that the majority of naturalists who devote themselves to the study of Starfishes will agree that the species vary greatly. I cannot say how deeply I regret the extreme divergence that exists between Mr. Sladen's views a well as methods and my own. But I cannot assent to or approve of a mode of study which practically results in the description of specimens instead of the diagnosis of species, and I note with satisfaction that the accomplished student of Echinoderms at the Jardin des Plantes ranges himself on the same side as myself. To me, indeed, and, I believe, to many others, one of the reasons why the study of Echinoderms is so fascinating is that they present so many and such striking variations; these very variations are, of course, the cause of the difficulty of the study, in which there is a INTRODUCTION. vii constant need for caution and reflection. Before the beginner yields to the temptation of describing " new species," which is easy enough, let him first gain the knowledge and experience which will teach him how one form links on to another, and thus avoid the undue multiplication of synonyms. Till quite recently our collection of Echinoderms was particularly poor in British specimens ; that we have now a splendid series illus­ trative of the fauna of the West coast of Scotland is due to Dr. John Murray, as the repeated citation of his name will abundantly show, and he deserves our sincerest thanks ; the Hon. Alfred E. Gathorne- Hardy has from time to time- presented us with valuable and well- preserved specimens from Loch Craignish : while from the East of Scotland I have been much aided in forming a collection by Dr. Sutherland of Invergordon, Mr. W. Duncan of Montrose, and Mr. George Sim of Aberdeen. For specimens from the East coast of Ireland we have been aided by the gifts of the Belfast Natural History Society; I owe to the friendly kindness and scientific enthusiasm of Professor A. C. Haddon numerous opportunities of inspecting, and ofttimes keeping for our Collection, the results of dredgings in the Irish Seas, made under the auspices of the Royal Irish Academy or the Royal Dublin Society. The deep-sea expe­ dition of 1889, which Dr. Giinther induced the Rev. W. S. Green to undertake in the ' Flying Fox,' resulted in a very valuable and instructive series of Echinoderms. My thanks are also due to Lord Walsingham, F.R.S., Prof. Herdman, F.R.S., Prof. Mcintosh, F.R.S., Mr. Howse of Newcastle, to Mr. G. C. Bourne, formerly of the Marine Biological Laboratory at Plymouth, and Dr. Grenfell, for assistance offered and given. Mr. R. L. Spencer has repeatedly sent me objects of interest from the Channel Islands. I have kept to the last, because I desire it to be mentioned by itself, the name of the Rev. Canon Norman, F.R.S., whose interest in the marine British fauna is such that, in the midst of arduous and responsible duties he has always found time to answer the numerous questions I have asked him, or to lend or give me specimens which would help me in my work. As many of our species are more familiar to Scandinavian natu­ ralists than ourselves, I have had to ask for, and have received, viii INTRODUCTION. assistance from Dr. Danielssen of Bergen, Dr. Sturm of Trondhjem- fjord, and Prof. Quennerstedt of Lund. In these inquiries, as in so many of which Echinoderms have been the subject, I owe a special debt of gratitude to my venerable friend Prof. Loven for advice, assistance, and the gift or loan of numerous specimens. The names of donors of specimens are in all cases given ; when the column is left blank it is to be understood that the specimens were acquired by purchase. F. JEFFREY BELL. British Museum (N. H.), 8th November, 1892. TABLE OF CONTENTS. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. Page General Sketch of the Characters of Eehinoderms and of their Development « 1 I. GENERAL PART. THE CHIEF DIVISIONS OF THE ECHINODERMA 12 A. INCALICULATA u L Anactinogonidiata 1^ I. HOLOTHURIOIDEA . I4 a. APNEUMONA !•> i. SYNAFTIDJE 1^ b. PNEUMONO PHORA . 16 i. DKNDROCHIROT.E: 16 (a) Decachiroto 16 (6) Polychirote 16 ii. ASPIDOCHIROT^; 16 B.