Definition.—Stephoidea with a simple sagittal ring, without any lattice-work.

The family Stephanida is the most simple of all Stephoidea, and probably the common ancestral group of this suborder (compare above, p. 933). The skeleton consists of a simple ring only, surrounding the central capsule, and armed commonly with simple thorns or with larger branched spines. The branches of these spines are constantly free, never joining together. Therefore the shell exhibits no trace of fenestration or lattice-work, no pores or gates, except the simple large gate of the ring itself. In all other Stephoidea we find secondary gates or lattice-work.

The first known form of this family is Lithocircus annularis, described by Johannes Müller in 1858 (Abhandl. d. k. Akad. d. Wiss. Berlin, p. 29, Taf. i. fig. 1). He observed already the central capsule ("Blase") surrounded by the circular ring of silex, and the calymma ("Strahlige Gallert") enveloping the whole body. The peculiar structure of the soft body, particularly the "area porosa" on the basal pole of the central capsule, and the pseudopodial cone within it, were first accurately described by Hertwig (in 1879). A great number of simple rings, similar to these, were found in the Challenger collection, and are here arranged in six genera and forty-eight species.

The simple ring of silex, which alone forms the skeleton of the Stephanida, corresponds to the primary or sagittal ring of the other Stephoidea, and lies therefore vertically in the median or sagittal plane of the body. We can therefore distinguish on it four different segments, rods or bows, two of which are more horizontal, two more vertical. The former are one upper bow or apical rod, and one lower bow or basal rod. The latter are one posterior bow or dorsal rod, and one anterior bow or ventral rod. Sometimes each of these four component bows is distinguished by a corner-spine, or by a pair of divergent branches.

In the two simplest (and probably oldest) genera of Stephanida, in Archicircus and Lithocircus, the dorsal and ventral rods of the ring are equal and cannot be distinguished; therefore the fundamental form is here amphithect, diphragmatic, or biradial (the poles of the sagittal axis being equal). In the four other genera the dorsal rod is more straight (often vertical) and more or less different from the ventral, convexly curved rod; therefore the fundamental form is here dipleuric or bilateral, as in the greater number of all Nassellaria (the poles of the sagittal axis being unequal). The general form of the ring in this latter case is commonly obliquely ovate or nearly triangular, the basal pole being more pointed, the apical pole more rounded (Pl. 81).

The rods or bows of the ring are either roundish or cylindrical (with circular or elliptical transverse section), or they are prismatic or angular (commonly with triangular transverse section). In the latter case one edge usually is prominent in the sagittal plane (on the convex outside of the ring), whilst two other edges diverge laterally on both sides of it. The inner or concave margin of the ring is commonly smooth.

The inner perimeter of the large gate, enclosed by the ring, is commonly rounded (elliptical or ovate), rarely angular. However, the outer perimeter of the ring is nearly always polygonal, with prominent corners, and usually from these arise thorns or branched spines which are regularly disposed. Regarding this disposition we may distinguish three cases: A, the spines lie in the sagittal plane and form a single row, arising from the median edge; B, the spines lie on both sides of the latter and form two parallel rows, arising from the two lateral edges; C, the spines represent a combination of A and B, and are disposed in three rows, two paired rows arising from the two lateral edges, and an odd middle row between them, arising from the median edge. The spines are simple, without branches, in Archicircus and Zygocircus; more or less branched in Lithocircus and Dendrocircus. The branches are often richly ramified or arborescent, and exhibit great variety in size, special form, and direction (compare Pl. 81).

The number and disposition of the spines or groups of spines are usually constant, and may be employed in the further progress of our knowledge, to distinguish a number of genera and subgenera. Very commonly (perhaps in the majority of the Stephanida) we find six groups of spines, an apical group on the upper rod of the sagittal ring, a basal group on the lower rod (on the porochora of the central capsule), two ventral groups on the anterior rod, and two dorsal groups on the posterior rod. In other species we find four or eight groups instead of six, and sometimes a larger number.

The most important of these apophyses of the ring are the basal spines, arising from its basal pole, where the porochora of the central capsule rests upon it. They are often much larger and more branched than the other spines, and attain a peculiar morphological value in the small subfamily Cortinida. Here we find three or four regularly disposed "basal spines," which may be compared to the typical "basal feet" of the Cyrtellaria, appearing in the majority of Spyroidea and Cyrtoidea. Cortina, one of the most important Nassellaria, bears three typical divergent feet on the base of the simple ring, two paired anterior or "pectoral feet," and an odd posterior or "caudal foot." The latter appears as a direct basal prolongation of the dorsal rod of the ring, and is opposed to an upper prolongation of the same, which corresponds to the "apical horn" of the Cyrtellaria (Pl. 97, figs. 1-3). As already explained above, these three basal feet of Cortina possess the highest phylogenetic value, since they may also be compared with the three primary radial spines of the Plectoidea, and so connect the Cyrtellaria and the Plectellaria. Stephanium differs from Cortina in the possession of four basal feet, an odd anterior or "sternal foot" being added to the three typical feet of the latter (Pl. 92, figs. 20, 21). Some forms of Plectoidea (Plagoniscus, Plectaniscus, &c.) seem to be nearly related to these Cortinida, and may be easily transformed into them by development of a complete ring, embracing the central capsule. They seem to demonstrate the near affinity of all these triradiate Nassellaria (Pl. 91, figs. 4, 5, 9, 10).

Synopsis of the Genera of Stephanida.

Subfamily 1. Lithocircida, Haeckel.

Definition.—Stephanida without typical basal feet or cortinar feet.

Genus 401. Archicircus,^[20] n. gen.

Definition.—Stephanida with a simple amphithect or diphragmatic ring, smooth or thorny, without branched spines and basal feet.

The genus Archicircus is the most primitive and simplest form of all Stephoidea, and probably the common ancestral form, not only of this suborder, but of the greater number of all Nassellaria (compare above, p. 893). The skeleton consists only of a quite simple sagittal ring, in which commonly a slight difference of both poles of the main axis (basal and apical pole) is visible, but no difference between the dorsal and the ventral bow of the ring. In my Prodromus (1881, p. 447) the species of Archicircus were disposed partly in the subgenus Monostephus, partly in the genus Lithocircus.

Subgenus 1. Monostephus, Haeckel, 1881, Prodromus, p. 447.

Definition.—Ring circular, elliptical, or ovate, without prominent corners.

1. Archicircus princeps, n. sp.

Gate circular. Ring circular, smooth, its transverse section also circular. The simplest form of all Stephoidea.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.05 to 0.08; thickness of the ring 0.006 to 0.008.

Habitat.—Central Pacific, Stations 265 to 274, depth 2350 to 2925 fathoms.

2. Archicircus monostephus, n. sp. (Pl. 83, fig. 17).

Gate circular. Ring circular, with three elegantly denticulate edges (one outer median and two lateral edges). Transverse section of the ring triangular.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.06 to 0.08; thickness of the ring 0.01 to 0.008.

Habitat.—Central Pacific, Station 274, depth 2750 fathoms.

3. Archicircus ellipsis, n. sp.

Gate elliptical. Ring elliptical, on the inner margin smooth, on the outer margin with fifteen to twenty equal, short, simple, or slightly forked thorns. Transverse section ovate.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.05 to 0.09; thickness of the ring 0.01 to 0.014.

Habitat.—Western Tropical Pacific, Station 225, depth 4475 fathoms; also fossil in Barbados.

4. Archicircus ovalis, n. sp.

Gate ovate. Ring elliptical, smooth, with three prominent, slightly distorted edges, without thorns; in the transverse section triangular.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.08 to 0.12; thickness of the ring 0.006 to 0.009.

Habitat.—Tropical Atlantic, Station 347, depth 2250 fathoms.

5. Archicircus monopylus, n. sp.

Gate ovate. Ring ovate, thorny, with three distorted edges, in the transverse section triangular; surface covered with numerous simple small thorns arising from the three edges.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.1 to 0.15; thickness of the ring 0.01 to 0.012.

Habitat.—Indian Ocean (Madagascar), Rabbe, surface.

Subgenus 2. Archistephus, Haeckel.

Definition.—Ring polygonal, with four to six or more prominent corners (and commonly with simple spines arising from the corners).

6. Archicircus quadratus, n. sp.

Gate square. Ring square, with three edges and four short simple pyramidal spines on the four corners, opposite in pairs in two perpendicular diameters. Transverse section triangular.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.08; thickness of the ring 0.008.

Habitat.—Central Pacific, Station 265, depth 2900 fathoms.

7. Archicircus rhombus, n. sp. (Pl. 81, fig. 7).

Gate rhombic. Ring rhombic, with four prominent edges and four pairs of short, divergent, pyramidal spines on the four corners, arising from the lateral edges of the four rods, about as long as the radius of the gate.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.04 to 0.08; thickness of the ring 0.007 to 0.01.

Habitat.—North Pacific, Station 244, depth 2900 fathoms.

8. Archicircus duodenus, n. sp.

Gate square or rhombic. Ring rhombic, with three prominent edges and twelve stout and straight pyramidal spines, about as long as the radius of the gate. In each of the four corners are three divergent spines, arising from the three edges of each two meeting rods.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.08; thickness of the ring 0.012.

Habitat.—North Atlantic, surface (Rabbe).

9. Archicircus primordialis, n. sp. (Pl. 81, fig. 1).

Gate ovate. Ring hexagonal, with three prominent edges and six short pyramidal thorns at the six corners; the basal thorn is either simple or forked.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.07; thickness of the ring 0.01 to 0.015.

Habitat.—Central Pacific, Stations 265 to 274, depth 2350 to 2925 fathoms.

10. Archicircus hexacanthus, n. sp. (Pl. 81, fig. 4).

Gate subregular, hexagonal. Ring hexagonal, with three sharp edges and six equal radial pyramidal spines, arising from the six corners and placed in the plane of the ring, about as long as the diameter of the gate.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.05 to 0.07; thickness of the ring 0.01.

Habitat.—South Pacific, Station 295, depth 1500 fathoms.

11. Archicircus hertwigii, Haeckel.

Gate hexagonal, with prolonged main axis. Ring hexagonal, with two prominent edges and six pairs of equal, short, conical spines, arising from the two edges of the six rods at the six corners and divergent on each side of the plane of the ring. The basal spine-pair is doubled, therefore there are in all fourteen spines.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.05 to 0.07; thickness of the ring 0.005 to 0.006.

Habitat.—Mediterranean (Messina), Hertwig, surface.

12. Archicircus triglyphus, n. sp.

Gate ovate. Ring hexagonal, with three prominent edges and twenty-two to twenty-four simple curved spines, arising from the six corners and about as long as the diameter of the gate. In the basal corner arise six to nine larger spines, protecting the basal pole of the central capsule. From each of the five other corners arise three spines, diverging from the three edges.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.07 to 0.11; thickness of the ring 0.008 to 0.011.

Habitat.—Central Pacific, Station 268, depth 2900 fathoms.

13. Archicircus sexangularis, n. sp. (Pl. 81, fig. 12).

Gate hexagonal or subcircular. Ring hexagonal, with two sharp prominent edges and six pairs of divergent spines, about as long as the radius of the gate, and arising from the two edges at the six corners. The two apical and the two basal spines are simple and conical, whilst the eight other spines, arising in pairs from the two dorsal and the two ventral corners, are slightly forked.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.06 to 0.08; thickness of the ring 0.01 to 0.015.

Habitat.—South Atlantic, Station 332, depth 2200 fathoms.

Genus 402. Lithocircus,^[21] J. Müller, 1856, Monatsber. d. k. preuss. Akad. d. Wiss. Berlin, p. 484.

Definition.—Stephanida with a simple amphithect or diphragmatic ring, armed with branched spines, without typical basal feet.

The genus Lithocircus is the oldest known form of all Stephoidea, founded by J. Müller in 1856 for his Lithocircus annularis, the first species of this suborder described. We retain here this cosmopolitan form as the typical representative of the genus, which differs from the preceding Archicircus, its ancestral form, in the development of branched radial spines.

1. Lithocircus annularis, J. Müller.

Gate circular. Ring circular, with four forked or simply branched spines, opposite in pairs in two diameters, perpendicular one to the other. Spines with slender curved fork-branches, about as long as the diameter of the gate. The specimen figured by J. Müller bears a supernumerary fifth spine; numerous other specimens observed by me exhibited a regular cross of four spines.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.1 to 0.15; length of the spines 0.01 to 0.18.

Habitat.—Cosmopolitan; Mediterranean, Atlantic, Indian, Pacific, surface.

2. Lithocircus quadricornis, n. sp. (Pl. 81, fig. 9).

Gate square. Ring square, with three sharp denticulate edges, and four large bunches of richly branched spines on the four corners. In each corner arise three curved spines, about as long as the diameter of the ring; their numerous irregular branches are forked and curved like the antlers of deer.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.07; length of the horns 0.06 to 0.09.

Habitat.—South Pacific, Station 300, depth 1375 fathoms.

3. Lithocircus decimalis, n. sp. (Pl. 81, fig. 15).

Gate elliptical. Ring pentagonal, with three prominent edges and five pairs of branched spines on the five corners. In each corner arise two or three curved spines, about as long as the radius of the gate, each with two to four forked branches.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.08; length of the spines 0.03 to 0.05.

Habitat.—North Atlantic, Station 354, surface.

4. Lithocircus hexablastus, n. sp. (Pl. 81, fig. 17).

Gate elliptical. Ring hexagonal, with three prominent edges and six pairs of branched spines, arising from the six corners. Each of the twelve spines is short and stout, only half as long as the radius of the gate, and bears a bunch of ten to twenty short, densely aggregated, conical or horn-like curved branches.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.1; length of the spines 0.02 to 0.03.

Habitat.—Central Pacific, Stations 265 to 268, depth 2700 to 2900 fathoms.

5. Lithocircus crambessa, n. sp. (Pl. 81, fig. 6).

Gate elliptical or subcircular. Ring hexagonal, with three wing-shaped distorted edges and six groups of branched spines, arising from the six corners. In each corner arise three short and stout divergent spines, each bearing a bunch of numerous short roundish branches like a cauliflower, scarcely as long as the thickness of the ring.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the ring 0.1 to 0.12, length of the spines 0.01 to 0.02.

Habitat.—Western Tropical Pacific, Station 225, depth 4475 fathoms.

6. Lithocircus tarandus, n. sp. (Pl. 92, fig. 19).

Gate circular. Ring hexagonal, with three sharp edges and six pairs of large branched spines, arising from the flat lateral edges on the six corners. Each of the twelve spines is horizontally expanded, longer than the diameter of the ring and dichotomously forked like the antlers of a reindeer. If the lateral ends of the branches of this species become united in the frontal plane, we get Microcubus, the four upper spines forming the mitral ring, the four middle the equatorial ring, and the four lower the basal ring.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.08; length of the spines 0.09.

Habitat.—Central Pacific, Station 272, surface.

7. Lithocircus furcatus, n. sp.

Gate ovate. Ring ovate, with three sharp prominent edges. The two lateral edges are smooth. The median edge (in the sagittal plane) bears sixteen to twenty forked spines (commonly eight dorsal, eight ventral, and four basal). All the spines are of nearly equal size, slightly curved, and about half as long as the short sagittal axis of the ring.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.08 to 0.12; length of the spines 0.03 to 0.04.

Habitat.—North Pacific, Station 253, depth 3125 fathoms.

8. Lithocircus magnificus, n. sp. (Pl. 81, fig. 16).

Gate ovate or nearly elliptical. Ring ovate, with three prominent edges, and numerous richly branched spines arising from the three edges. The specimen figured, which I observed living in the Mediterranean, exhibited eight bunches of larger spines, three dorsal, three ventral, one apical, and one basal bunch; the latter much larger than the seven others. Each bunch was composed of two to four larger and numerous smaller spines, their branches curved and forked. The ovate purple central capsule, with a distinct podoconus, filled more than the half of the gate.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.1 to 0.13; length of the spines 0.05 to 0.15.

Habitat.—Mediterranean (Portofino, 1880), Atlantic (Canary Islands), Station 354, surface.

Genus 403. Zygocircus,^[22] Bütschli, 1882, Zeitschr. f. wiss. Zool., vol. xxxvi. p. 496.

Definition.—Stephanida with a simple dipleuric or bilateral ring, smooth or thorny, without branched spines and basal feet.

The genus Zygocircus and the following Dendrocircus differ from the two preceding older genera in the bilaterally symmetrical or dipleuric form of the sagittal ring. Whilst in Archicircus and Lithocircus the two sagittal halves or bows of the ring, the dorsal and ventral bow, are equal (therefore the fundamental form amphithect or diphragmatic), here both bows become distinctly different; the dorsal bow is constantly more straight (often vertical), the ventral bow more convex (obliquely ascending). This dipleuric differentiation is most important, as it is transmitted to the greater number of Nassellaria by heredity.

1. Zygocircus sagittalis, n. sp.

Gate ovate. Ring half ovate or nearly triangular, with three curved edges and three prominent corners, one apical and two basal protuberances. Dorsal rod vertical, twice as long as the horizontal basal rod. Ventral rod convexly curved.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.05 to 0.07; height of the tubercles 0.01 to 0.015.

Habitat.—Central Pacific, Stations 265 to 268, depth 2900 fathoms.

2. Zygocircus trigonus, n. sp.

Gate triangular. Ring triangular, with three curved edges and three prominent corners, which are prolonged into nine divergent conical spines; three spines arising from the three edges of each corner. Dorsal rod vertical; ventral and basal rods curved and convergent.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.11 to 0.13; length of the spines 0.01 to 0.015.

Habitat.—Indian Ocean, Sunda Archipelago (Rabbe), surface.

3. Zygocircus tetragonus, n. sp.

Gate ovate. Ring quadrangular, without edges, with four simple conical spines of different sizes; one smaller apical, one larger basal, and two equatorial spines of middle size (one dorsal and one ventral). Dorsal and ventral rod curved.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.04 to 0.06; length of the spines 0.018 to 0.026.

Habitat.—Tropical Atlantic, Station 338, depth 1990 fathoms.

4. Zygocircus rhombicus, n. sp.

Gate rhombic. Ring rhombic, with three prominent edges, and eight short conical curved spines arising from the lateral edges at the four corners of the rhombus. The basal and ventral spine are larger than the apical and dorsal spine; the ventral rod is more curved (with smaller angle) than the shorter dorsal rod. The medial edge of the ring is smooth, without spines.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.08; length of spines 0.02 to 0.04.

Habitat.—South Atlantic, Station 335, depth 1425 fathoms.

5. Zygocircus pentagonus, n. sp. (Pl. 81, fig. 8).

Gate roundish pentagonal. Ring very thick (about as thick as the radius of the gate), irregularly pentagonal, with prominent sagittal edge. On both sides of the latter arise at the five corners five pairs of short simple irregularly curved spines. The four ventral spines are larger than the four dorsal, and the two basal spines larger than the eight former, forked. (In fig. 8 the basal spines are turned upwards.)

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.07; length of the spines 0.04 to 0.06.

Habitat.—Central Pacific, Station 268, depth 2900 fathoms.

6. Zygocircus hexagonus, n. sp.

Gate irregularly hexagonal. Ring obliquely hexagonal, thick, without edges, with six short and stout conical spines on the six corners. The two spines of the curved ventral rod are longer than the two spines of the straight dorsal rod. The apical spine is smaller and the basal spine larger than the four others.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.07 to 0.09; length of the spines 0.01 to 0.03.

Habitat.—North Pacific, Station 241, depth 2300 fathoms.

7. Zygocircus triquetrus, n. sp. (Pl. 81, fig. 3).

Gate obliquely ovate. Ring obliquely hexagonal, with three sharp edges and three short conical spines on each of the six corners. Therefore each hexagonal edge bears six short radial spines of equal size.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.04 to 0.08; length of the spines 0.01 to 0.02.

Habitat.—Cosmopolitan; Mediterranean, Atlantic, Pacific, surface.

8. Zygocircus dodecanthus, n. sp.

Gate semicircular. Ring semicircular or irregularly hexagonal, without edges, with twelve short blunt spines, arising in pairs from the six corners; two apical, two basal, and between them two equatorial corners. Three pairs of spines remain on the straight dorsal rod, three on the curved ventral rod.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.04 to 0.06; length of the spines 0.01 to 0.02.

Habitat.—Central Pacific, Stations 263 to 268; depth 2650 to 2900 fathoms.

9. Zygocircus acacia, n. sp. (Pl. 81, fig. 5).

Gate obliquely ovate. Ring semi-ovate, with straight dorsal and curved ventral rod, partly with distorted edges. Six bunches of numerous short and straight conical spines arise from the ring, one larger bunch (often trifid) from the apex, two smaller bunches from the dorsal, two from the ventral rod, and one very large bunch from the base. The six bunches are often more separated, smaller, and the spines shorter than in the figured specimen, which passes over into Dendrocircus.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.12 to 0.16; length of the spines, 0.01 to 0.07.

Habitat.—Central Pacific, Station 266, depth 2750 fathoms.

10. Zygocircus polygonus, n. sp. (Pl. 81, fig. 2).

Gate irregularly roundish or ovate. Ring irregularly polygonal or sometimes nearly circular, without edges, armed with a single series of ten to fifteen short pyramidal spines, which are irregularly disposed in the sagittal plane. The ventral rod is strongly curved, often semicircular, the dorsal rod less curved or nearly straight.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.05 to 0.07; length of the spines 0.004 to 0.02.

Habitat.—Cosmopolitan—Atlantic, Pacific; also fossil in Barbados.

11. Zygocircus bütschlii, n. sp.

Gate obliquely ovate. Ring irregularly roundish, semi-ovate or ovate, with interrupted and distorted edges, and with a large number (ten to twenty or more) of simple, irregularly formed and asymmetrically disposed spines; commonly some larger spines at the base.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.05 to 0.09; length of the spines 0.005 to 0.02.

Habitat.—Fossil in Barbados.

12. Zygocircus productus, Bütschli.

Gate obliquely ovate. Ring obliquely ovate, with three complete prominent edges and with numerous (ten to twenty or more) simple, short conical spines, arising in three series from the three edges; commonly some smaller spines at the base.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.1 to 0.2; length of the spines 0.005 to 0.02.

Habitat.—Cosmopolitan; Mediterranean, Atlantic, Pacific, surface.

Genus 404. Dendrocircus,^[23] Haeckel, 1881, Prodromus, p. 447.

Definition.—Stephanida with a simple dipleuric or bilateral ring, armed with branched spines, without typical basal feet.

The genus Dendrocircus has the same dipleuric or bilaterally symmetrical form of the sagittal ring as its ancestral genus Zygocircus. It differs from the latter in the development of branched radial spines, and therefore bears to it the same relation as the amphithect Lithocircus does to the simpler Archicircus.

1. Dendrocircus quadrangulus, n. sp.

Gate irregularly quadrangular or nearly semicircular. Ring quadrangular, edgeless, with four unequal sides; ventral rod more curved and with longer sides than the dorsal rod. From the four edges arise four strong, irregularly branched spines, about as long as the diameter of the gate, with curved branches; the ventral and basal spines larger than the dorsal and apical spines. Similar to Lithocircus quadricornis (Pl. 81, fig. 9), but less branched, and with a striking difference between the shorter dorsal and the longer ventral rod.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.04 to 0.06; length of the spines 0.05 to 0.07.

Habitat.—North Pacific, Station 256, depth 2950 fathoms.

2. Dendrocircus dodecarrhiza, n. sp.

Gate obliquely ovate. Ring irregularly quadrangular, with three prominent edges. From the latter arise at the four corners twelve divergent, irregularly branched spines (three in each corner), about as long as the radius of the gate, with curved branches; the three basal spines larger than the nine others.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.08 to 0.1; length of the spines 0.04 to 0.06.

Habitat.—Indian Ocean (Maldive Islands), surface (Haeckel).

3. Dendrocircus dodecancistra, n. sp. (Pl. 81, fig. 11).

Gate obliquely ovate or nearly elliptical. Ring irregularly ovate, with three distorted edges and six pairs of branched spines. The two ventral pairs are much more distant than the two dorsal pairs, the ventral rod being longer and more curved than the dorsal rod. All twelve spines are of nearly equal size, are more or less curved, about as long as the diameter of the gate, and each bears six to twelve irregular short branches at the end.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.07 to 0.08; length of the spines 0.05 to 0.08.

Habitat.—Tropical Atlantic, Station 342, depth 1445 fathoms.

4. Dendrocircus arborescens, n. sp. (Pl. 81, fig. 10).

Gate irregularly roundish or nearly circular. Ring of the same form, with slight edges and six pairs of elegant arborescent spines (one apical, two dorsal, two ventral, and one basal pair); the three latter somewhat larger than the three former. Each tree is larger than the ring, in the basal half simple, in the distal half forked, each fork-branch with numerous dichotomous terminal branches.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the gate 0.06 to 0.08; length of the spines 0.12 to 0.15.

Habitat.—Central Pacific, Stations 266 to 274, surface.

5. Dendrocircus elegans, n. sp. (Pl. 81, fig. 13).

Gate irregularly ovate. Ring thick, ovate, with three denticulate edges and six bunches of stout, branched and spinulate, curved spines. The four ventral spines are more distant than the four dorsal, the ventral rod being more curved than the dorsal. The latter bears above the two apical spines. The two basal spines are much larger, deeply forked; their four fork-branches may be compared to the four basal feet of Stephanium.

Dimensions.—Diameter of the ring 0.09 to 0.11; length of the spines 0.03 to 0.06.

Habitat.—Central Pacific, Station 274, depth 2750 fathoms.