PTERASTER MILITARIS Müll. and Trosch.

Asterias militaris Müller, Zool. Dan. Prod., p. 234, 1776; Rathke, Zool. Dan., vol. iv, p. 14, pl. 131, 1806.

Pteraster militaris Müller and Troschel, Syst., Aster., Supl., p. 128, pl. 6, fig. 1, 1842; Stimpson, Invert. Grand Manan, p. 15, 1853; M. Sars, Overs. Norges Echinod., p. 48, pl. 3. figs. 8, 9, pl. 4, figs. 4-6, 1861; Duncan and Sladen, op. cit., p. 46, pl. 3, figs. 13-16. Danielssen and Koren, op. cit., p. 70, pl. 13, figs. 18, 19, 1884; Verrill, Expl. by the Albatross, p. 541, pl. 13, fig. 35, 1885.

B. range, 10 to 200 fath. From 10 to 530 fath. (Sladen). Taken at many stations from N. lat. 47° 29' to Massachusetts Bay. Common in the Bay of Fundy in 10 to 50 fath. Also European and Arctic.

TEMNASTER HEXACTIS Verrill.

Pteraster (Temnaster) hexactis Verrill, Proc. Nat. Mus., vol. xvii, p. 175, 1894. B. range, 57 fath. Only one specimen taken, N. lat. 43° 05'. No allied species is known.

DIPLOPTERASTER MULTIPES Verrill.

Pteraster multipes M. Sars, Vidensk. Selskabs. Förhandl., 1865, p. 200;
Fauna Litt. Norvegiæ, p. 65, pl. 8, figs. 1-17, 1877.

Diplopteraster multipes Verrill, this Journal, vol. xx, p. 400, 1880; Ann.
Report U. S. Fish Comm., for 1882, vol. x. p. 659, 1884; op. cit., vol. xi,
Expl. by the Albatross in 1883, p. 542, pl. 14, fig. 43, 1885.
Retaster? multipes Sl., op. cit., pp. 477, 478, 800, 1889.

B. range, 67 to 640 fath. Most commom between 100 and 300 fathoms. Taken at many stations between N. lat. 44° 26' and 37° 07′ 50′′. Occurs also off the Norwegian coast.

The two following species, described by Mr. Sladen from the southern hemisphere, appear to belong to this genus and to be closely allied to our species:

Diplopteraster verrucosus V. = Retaster verrucosus Sl., Magellan Str., 55 fath.

D. peregrinator V. = Retaster peregrinator Sl., off Kerguelen I., 127 fath.

These have the ambulacral feet in four rows and the broad, thick, fleshy actinal membrane characteristic of this genus.

LOPHOPTERASTER, gen. nov.

Form and general appearance as in Pteraster, from which it differs chiefly in having a very prominent, solid crest or keel-like prominence on the center of each jaw; it forms the inner angle of the jaw, separating the two groups of oral spines in the middle. The latter are otherwise webbed together. Two small, actinal jaw-spines on each side. Actinal radial spines well developed. Adambulacral spines webbed. Supradorsal membrane nearly as in Pteraster. Definite, dorsal interradial channels.

LOPHOPTERASTER ABYSSORUM, sp. nov.

Radii 42 and 22mm.

Form stellate, with five short rays. Disk large and swollen dorsally, covered with definite, angular areolations, due to the outer circle of paxillary spinules being longer than the others; many of the shorter ones project slightly above the cuticle within the areola; the central spinules is scarcely larger than the rest. Muscular fibers feeble, radiating. Papulæ small and rather numerous. In each interradial area there is a furrow, bordered by divergent, webbed groups of spinules; no definite openings are visible in them, except some pores rather larger than usual. The slender, glassy, actinal radial spines, covered with thin membrane, project as a fringe at the margin. Adambulacral spines slender, five to seven, webbed for about half their length, and bordered with web to the tips. Valve of the segmental pores semi-oval, attached by the entire adoral margin and supported by a short, central spinule.

B. range, 2021 fath. Two specimens (8141) from station 2226, in 2021 fathoms, N. lat. 37°, W. long, 71° 54′. No allied species is known.

Dorsally this species resembles Pteraster pulvillus, for which it was mistaken at first.

HYMENASTER MODESTUS Verrill.

Hymenaster modestus Verrill, this Journal, vol. xxix, p. 151, 1885; Proc. Nat. Mus., vol xvii, p. 277, 1894.

B. range, 1098 to 1451 fath. Very rare. stations, N. lat. 39° 40′ 05′′ and 39° 22′ 20′′.

HYMEN ASTER REGALIS, sp. nov.

Taken at two

Form stellate with five rays. Greater radii, 70mm; lesser, 45mm Disk somewhat swollen, with the interradial areas sunken; rays broad, somewhat swollen, broadest a little beyond the base, regularly tapered. The entire dorsal surface is covered with long, prominent, sharp spines, which project far beyond the super-dorsal membrane, but are covered with cuticle to the tip; these spines form nine regular, longitudinal rows on each ray; those in the two rows on each side of the rays are united by a web extending about a third of their height. About ten clusters of similar spines surround the central area of the disk, which is covered by five, broad, concave, valve-like structures, which close the central pore. These valves are supported by numerous slender spines, which project along their inner margins, and several stouter spines on the distal margin, all of which are webbed together. Each

dorsal spine is the central spinule arising from a large, elevated paxilla, the other spinules being rudimentary or absent.

Attached to each spine is a group of numerous strong radiating fibers which extend from spine to spine and support the intervening membrane, which rises in a tent-like form at the base of each spine. The spiracles are everywhere numerous and rather large. The actinal interradial areas are covered by a smooth, thick integument, which extends out as a web, between the bases of the arms, and as a border along their sides, to near the end. The radial spines are short and nearly concealed by the membrane. Those about opposite the middle of of the furrow are the longest and reach the margin of the web, but do not project beyond it; but those toward the tips of the rays, where the web is narrow, project beyond its margins; those toward the inner end of the furrow become quite short; but those next the jaws are again somewhat lengthened. The furrows are wide and shallow. The ambulacral feet are very large, arranged in two rows, conical, with a small sucker at the tip. Each adambulacral plate bears three long slender spines of which the two outer are much the longest, they stand in an oblique row, the two inner ones being more aborally placed than the other, and nearly side by side; the innermost is much smaller than either of the others; all are covered and bordered by soft cuticle, which also extends in a soft flap beyond the tip. The segmental pores are very large and conspicuous and covered by a soft membranous valve, irregularly ovate in form, bilobed at the tip, and attached by the end next the furrow, where it is supported by a short, thick, stump-like spine. Each jaw bears a median, solid, short, thick, elevated crest or keel, which projects inward slightly, between the oral spines; a large actinal spine arises on each of its sides, a little nearer the inner than the outer end; another pair of similar, but somewhat smaller, spines arises on each side of the inner end; three much smaller, slender spines arise from the lateral margin of each jaw; these spines are covered with cuticle which projects in long flaps beyond the tips, but does not form a web.

B. range, 1374 fath. A single specimen (No. 15,556) was taken at station 2725, N. lat. 36° 34', W. long. 73° 48'.

Species of this genus are found in all the oceans at great depths. None of the numerous described species resemble this very much.

Family ECHINASTERIDE Verrill.

CRIBRELLA PECTINATA Verrill.

Proc. Nat. Mus., vol. xvii, p. 278, 1894.

B. range,

shallow water (about 20 fath.), Bay of Fundy.

CRIBRELLA SANGUINOLENTA Lütken.

Asterias sanguinolenta Müller, Zoöl. Dan. Prod., 2836, 1776.

Asterias oculata Pennant, Brit. Zoöl., vol. iv, p. 61, pl. 30, fig. 56, 1777.
Asterias spongiosa Fabricius, Fauna Groenl., p. 368, 1780.

Linkia oculata Forbes, Wern. Mem., vol. viii, p. 120, 1839.

Cribella oculata Forbes, British Starfishes, p. 100 (figure), 1841.

Echinaster oculatus Müller and Troschel, Syst. Asterid., p. 24, 1842.

Linkia oculata Stimpson, Invert. of Grand Manan, p. 14, 1853.

Linkia pertusa Stimpson, op. cit., p. 14.

Echinaster sanguinolentus Sars, Fauna Litt. Norveg., i, p. 47, pl. 8, figs. 3-6; Oversigt af Norges Echinodermer, p. 84, 1861.

Cribrella sanguinolenta Lütken, Groenl. Echinod., p 31, 1859; Verrill, Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. x, p. 345, 1866; Verrill, Invert. Vineyard Sd., pp. 407, 425, 1873; A. Agassiz, N. Amer. Starfishes, p. 113, pl. 18, 1877. Cribrella oculata Perrier,* Stellerides, in Arch. Zool. Exper., vol. iv. p. 373, 1875; Duncan and Sladen, op. cit.. p. 32, pl. 2, figs. 18-21, 1881; Danielssen and Kor., op. cit., p. 34, 1884; Sladen, op. cit., p. 542,1889.

B. range, 0 to 471 fathoms; off New Jersey in 1350 fathoms, Sladen. Rare below 200 fathoms on our coast. Very abundant north of Cape Cod in 1 to 50 fath., on hard bottoms. Common in the cold area south of Martha's Vineyard, in 10 to 60 fathoms. It is found off Cape Hatteras. Taken at more than 400 stations between N. lat. 47° 29′ and 35° 38'. It enters the eastern part of Long Island Sound. It ranges to Greenland and the Arctic Ocean generally, and to northern Europe.

Allied species are found in all the oceans; about 14 are recognized.

Family PEDICELLASTERIDE.

PEDICELLASTER TYPICUS M. Sars.

Oversigt over Norges Ecinod., p. 77, pl. 9, figs. 9-17, pl. 10, figs. 1-10, 1861; Verrill, this Journal, vol. xvi, p. 214, 1878; Danielssen and Koren, op. cit., p. 36. 1884; Sladen, Voy. Challenger, pp. 557, 814, 1889.

Pedicellaster palæocrystallus Duncan and Sladen, op. cit., p. 34, pl. 2, figs. 22-26, 1881; Sladen, Voy. Challenger, vol. xxx, pp. 557, 560 (note).

B. range, 79 to 122 fath. From 50 to 620 fath., Sladen. Taken a few times, sparingly, from N. lat. 43° 19′ to 42° 15′ 25′′. Also found in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It ranges to the Arctic Ocean and northern Europe.

Nine or ten species of this genus are recorded from the Atlantic and Antarctic regions, mostly in deep water.

Family ZOROASTERIDE Sladen.

ZOROASTER DIOMEDEE Verrill.

Zoroaster Diomedece Verrill, Brief Cont. No. 55; this Journal, vol. xxviii, p. 217, 1884; Expl. by the Albatross in 1883, p. 540 [38], 1889. ?Zoroaster fulgens (pars) Sladen, Voy. Challenger, vol. xxx, p. 418, plates 66 and 68, 1889.

*I do not consider it justifiable to follow Perrier, Sladen, and others in the revival of the ancient name (oculatus) given to this species in 1733 by Linck, who was not a binomial writer. If it be necessary to do so in this case, the same argument would apply to all his other trivial names, and to all his generic terms also. The name of this species would, in that case, stand as Pentadactylosaster oculatus Linck.

B.

range, 1098 to 1555 fath. Most abundant from 1300 to 1500 fath. In one doubtful case, recorded from 471 fath. (one specimen). Dredged at 16 stations from N. lat. 41° 09' 40" to 37° 27'.

Z.

Allied species are found at great depths in most seas. fulgens Thomson, from the eastern Atlantic, 500 to 1350 fath., and Z. Ackleyi Per., from the West Indies, are nearly related to our species if not identical. Mr. Sladen refers specimens dredged by the Challenger off our coast in 1250 to 1350 fath. to Z. fulgens. These were probably identical with our species and indicate that the two described forms may be the same. He also records Z. fulgens from off Brazil, in 675 fath.

Family STICHASTERIDE Perrier.

NEOMORPHASTER FORCIPATUS Verrill.

Proc. Nat. Mus., vol. xvii, p. 269, 1894.

B. range, 852 to 990 fathoms. Three stations off George's Bank and S. of Martha's Vineyard.

The only species allied to this is N. eustichus Sladen, from 900 to 1000 fath., off the Azores.

STICHASTER ALBULUS Verrill.

Asteracanthion albulus Stimpson, Invert. Grand Manan, p. 14, pl. 1, fig. 5, 1853.

Stichaster albulus Verrill, Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist, vol. x, p. 351, 1866; Perrier, Arch. Zool. Exper., vol. iv, p. 347, 1875; Duncan and Sladen, op. cit., p. 29, pl. 2, figs. 13-17, 1881; Danielssen and Koren, op. cit., p. 31, pl. 8, figs. 13-15, 1884; Sladen, Voy. Challenger, vol. xxx, p. 432, 1889. Asteracanthion problema Steenstrup. Vidensk. Medd. nat. Foren., p. 240, 1854; Lütken, Grönl. Echinod., p. 30, 1857.

Stephanasterias albula Verrill, Bulletin Essex Inst., vol. i, p. 5, 1871; Expl. Casco Bay, p. 353, 1874; Check List, 1879; Expl. by the Albatross in 1883, p. 540, 1885.

B. range, 0 to 229 fath.; in one case recorded from 435 fath., off Delaware. Common from low-water mark to 100 fath. in the Bay of Fundy and off the coast of Nova Scotia. Dredged at more than 100 stations between N. lat. 46° 50′ and 35° 12' 30". Off Cape Hatteras it is common in 16 to 50 fath. Common S. of Martha's Vineyard in 50 to 150 fath. Its range extends to Greenland, Iceland and other parts of the Arctic Ocean, and the northern coasts of Europe.

Allied species are found in most seas.

This family seems hardly worthy of separation from the

Asteracanthion Forbesii Desor, Proc. Boston Soc. N. H., vol. iii, p 67, 1848. Asterias arenicola Stimpson, Proc Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. viii, p. 268, 1862; Verrill, ditto, vol. x, p. 339, 1866; Invert. Vineyard Sd., p. 424, 1873.