Sy * 2? a> > S> > >> ae PS o> >> >? = Uwe 4 Y > > > D> y >» >> » y D> y > a DD = » “3 > De et > > => ) > > as >" > >> ve > > >>> >. : >> >>) » ? VIVA) ee ul RvUy Vw ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE OF THE MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY, AT HARVARD COLLEGE. Published by order of the Legislature of Massachusetts. No. I. OPHIURIDEH AND ASTROPHYTIDA. BY THEODORE LYMAN. CAMBRIDGE: FOR SALE BY SEVER AND FRANCIS. 1865. it i] Pi LP is 7!) Ne iow a e i: >) e 7 Phy i) : $ +, bs — * 4 4 Th ey ret 4 = pty » ba fo v2 ee fi ao \ * nad 4 ie 8 a | . \ 2.) . é a | # ae r iNet er eae = y x ut | SRA 1 / . f | i er Pha : 1 : } ? ‘ . ’ ’ a? ts University Press: WEtcH, BiceLow, & Co., CAMBRIDGE. + . - aol wi as ' se Re Z ; P ie if Oh oma PY. HE publication of the Illustrated Catalogue of the Museum of Comparative Zodlogy has been undertaken with a threefold object. In the first place, like the catalogues of most institutions of a similar character, it is intended to make the contents of our Museum generally known, and to facilitate our exchanges. In the second place, to be the medium of publication of the novelties received at the Museum, which require to be described and illustrated by diagrams or wood-cuts, or more elaborate plates. Finally, it is hoped that it may be the basis of a systematic revision of such natural groups of the animal kingdom as are most fully represented in our collections, and that it may, as far as possible, present to the scientific world the results of the investigations carried on in the Museum with a view of ascertaining the natural limits of the Faun at the present time and in past ages, and the genetic relations which may exist between the order of succession of organized beings upon the earth, their mode of growth, and their metamorphoses during their embry- onic life, and the plan and complication of their structure in their adult condition. The means for publishing this work have been most liberally granted by the Legislature, at a time when, in a less enlightened assembly, the material cares of the community would have engaged their exclusive attention. L. AGASSIZ. CamBripGkt, March 28, 1865. PREFACE. HIS is a descriptive Catalogue of such Genera and Species of Ophiuridz and Astrophytida, from the shores of North and South America and of Greenland, as are now represented in the Smithsonian Institution (1861) and in the Museum of Comparative Zodlogy at Harvard University (1864). To these are added notices of the other species in our Museum. There are twenty-six genera in all, and one hundred and five species. Of these, five genera and twenty-six species are new ; also, one generic name, which could not stand, has been replaced by a new one. The Catalogue consists of a Preface, an Introduction, a List of the most important books, a Table of the known Species of Ophiuridee and of Astrophytide, and descriptions of Genera and Species of the families Ophiuride and Astrophytide. I take this opportunity to thank the following gentlemen for their kind assistance in giving me specimens, and a great variety of valuable information: Professor Henry, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution ; Professor 8. F. Baird ; Professor F. 8. Holmes; Professor J. Leidy ; Dr. J. L. LeConte ; Dr. Wm. Stimpson ; Professor Steenstrup and Dr. C. F. Litken, of Copenhagen ; Dr. D. F. Weinland ; James M. Barnard, Esq. ; Rev. J. E. Mills; Mr. T. N. Gill; Mr. Higginson ; Mr. A. 8. Packard, Jr.; Mr. N.S. Shaler; Professor A. E. Verrill; Mr. A. Garrett ; Mr. G. A. Che- ney, of Zanzibar; Mr. C. Curtis, of Key West; Dr. Whitehurst, Surgeon of the post, and Mr. Phillips, Superintendent at Fort Jefferson, Tortugas ; General Geo. G. Meade, U.S. A.; General D. P. Woodbury, U. 8. A.; Lieutenant Craighill, U.S. A.; Mr. A. H. Riise, of St. Thomas ; Profes- sor Valenciennes and M. Rousseau, of the Jardin des Plantes ; Professor Schmarda, of Vienna; Professor Schlegel and Professor Herklots, of -, |, hil) nese rouse Weekes te ticorme ene eee Alcoholic. 1059 @ || ChyalMosces |) ow soace G. Wurdeman. “ 989 1 | Cape Florida. B51.) pal paillvn sasmememenee te kere &“ 1086 2) St.eRhomas:c Bahamasclis eeeuenewene A. Hi. Riise. ee 1108 eae 2 | St. Thomas, W. I. ea tece etre A. H. Riise. j a | } a EE eee OPHIURA HOLMESII. 21 Ophiura Holmesii Lyman. (Pl. I, Fig. 7.) Ophioderma variegatum AGAss. MS. Ophiura Holmesii Lyman ; Proceed. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., VI. p. 1860. nw co cr Special Marks. — Disk thick ; arms stout, stiff; in length less than four times diameter of disk. Color, various patterns of white, and of different shades of green. No naked scales at base of arms. Description of an Individual. — Diameter of disk, 19.2"; from outer side of mouth-shield to outer corner of opposite mouth-slits, 7.4" ; greatest width of arm without spines, 4.4""; length of arm, about 74"; distance from outer edge of mouth-shield to inner points of mouth- papille, to that between outer corners of mouth-slits, 2.8: 4.2". Mouth- papilla: small, stout, rounded, pointed ; from 16 to 18; outermost one somewhat longer than rest ; one next to outermost, broad and flattened ; two innermost pointing to centre, and somewhat longer than those near them. Teeth, four in number; uppermost one longer than others, flat, and sharp-pointed ; three lower ones thin, flat, and with a rounded, cut- ting edge. Mouth-shields long heart-shaped, with pomt mward; on outer edge a slight indentation ; length to breadth, 1.8: 1.6"™ ; madre- poric shield shorter and broader, and with a small depression near outer edge. Side mouth-shields small, rounded, thickened, varying somewhat in shape, but commonly short, rounded, triangular; length to breadth, 1.2:1™"; leneth to that of mouth-shields, 1.2:1.8"". Under arm-plates squarish ; outer side curved, laterals a little re-enteringly curved, inner side and inner laterals short, of about equal length, and lying almost in one line; farther out on arm, inner laterals and inner side are very decidedly inclined to each other, and the curve of outer side is broken up into an outer side and two outer laterals, so that here the plates have the form of a nearly regular octagon ; between first and second plates, and second and third plates, a pair of pores, separated by a little tooth. First plate very irregular oval, with a notch on its inner side ; length to breadth, .8:14™™. Second plate with a curved outer side, lateral and inner sides re-enteringly curved, the latter most so ; length to breadth, 1:1.4™". Third plate, outer and inner sides curved, the latter the less; lateral sides re-enteringly curved; length to breadth, 1.2:1.6™". Fifth plate, same as third; about one third out on arm, plates octagonal, length to breadth, 1.2: 1.4; near point of arm heart- shaped, with point inward. Side arm-plates compactly soldered with surrounding parts, stout, a little overlapped by upper plates, their outer edges showing plainly, by reason of shortness of arm-spines ; they con- tinue till quite near end of arm without meeting either above or below. Upper arm-plates much broader than long, outer corners rounded, inner DY OPHIURA HOLMESII. ad side a trifle shorter than outer side; incision in disk includes three plates ; first plate rudimentary, in form of segment of a circle, with its curve inward, length to breadth, .8 : 1.2"; second plate similar in form, length to breadth, .8:1.8""; third plate similar in form, length to breadth, 1:37"; fourth plate of normal form, length to breadth, 1.2:3.2"™; about two thirds out on arm, plates proportionately longer, outer corners much rounded, inner side shorter than outer so that lateral sides slope; length to breadth, 1:2""; length of inner side, 1.4"; close to tip of arm, plates wedge-shaped, the pomt inward, leneth to breadth, .4:.4"", outer side slightly curved. Disk, granula- tion of upper surface pretty close and regular, about one hundred and eighty grains to a square mm.; granulation of interbrachial spaces below same as that above, and extending to bases of mouth-papilla excepting side mouth-shields; scales at base of arm completely covered by granu- lation. Arm-spines short, stout, flat, rounded, varying very little in size on the same joint; upper ones, however, a little largest and longest. Second and third joints, three spines, lengths to that of under arm-plate, 8:1; fourth joint, four spines ; fifth joimt, five spies; sixth joint, six spines ; seventh joint, eight spmes ; eighth joimt, nine spines ; length of uppermost and lowest spines to that of under arm-plate, .8, .8:1.2; a few of upper spines are as long as 1™™; about two thirds out on arm, six spines, length to that of under arm-plate, .6: 1; close to tip of arm, four very short, stout spines, length to that of under arm-plate, .4 :.6. Tentacle-scales: the two that belong to each tentacle continue till near tip of arm, where there is only one; mside scale much lke an arm- spine, but broader and flatter; outside scale shorter, being cut square off at the end. Color, in alcohol: disk, above, with a dirty white patch in centre; rest of upper surface having a ground-tint of light yellowish- brown (yellow ochre and vandyke brown) slightly clouded with olive ; arms above dirty olive, irregularly barred with same brown as ground- tint of disk, but lighter ; bars include usually two or three joints; lower surface of disk and arms, uniform dirty white, with a brown tint just on edges of disk ; arm-spmes white. Variations. — The color is almost as variable as in QO. appressa. Often the disk is nearly white above, while the arms are dark green, and banded. According to drawings in possession of Prof. Agassiz, a common pattern in the living animal is a dark sap-green disk, with a blotch of white in the centre, and arms banded with darker and lighter green. Specimens with a disk of 14" have the under arm-plates more octagonal and proportionately longer than among the larger. This species stands between QO. brevispina and O. olivacea ; from the former it is distinguished by proportionately thicker arms and stouter disk, and by proportions of under arm-plates it is also a larger species, OPHIURA OLIVACEA. 93 aw twenty millemeters being about an average diameter for the disk of an adult ; from O. olivacea it is distinguished by its barred arms and varied coloration ; and from both of these by having no naked scales at the base of the arm. LIST OF SPECIMENS. | Catalogue | Original Number 4 When 4 A Nature of Number. | Number. of Spec. Locality. Collected. Whence obtained. Specimen. Museum of Comparative Zodlogy. 111 20 6 Charleston, S:€. | .....-. Prof. Agassiz. Alcoholic. 112 ae 1 SullivanisislandsSi1Cs |) 0 ee Prof. Agassiz. Dried. 113 a 8} Olnodlasoyn, $5 || ssoaas Prof. F. S. Holmes. Ophiura olivacea Lyman. Ophioderma olivaceum Ayres ; Proceed. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., IV. p. 134. 1852. Special Marks. — Uniform greenish above, without bands on arms; lower arm-plates nearly square, with outer side curved; arms broad near base, quickly tapering; side mouth-shields naked. Description of a Specimen. — Diameter of disk, 11"; from outer edge of mouth-shield to outer corner of opposite mouth-slit, 4.7"™ ; width of arm without spines, 2.2"; length of arm about 52"; distance from outer edge of mouth-shield to inner points of teeth, to that between outer corners of mouth-slits, 2.5: 2.2. Mouth-papille sixteen, outer one small, next four stout, squarish, rounded ; innermost one longest, flat, and tapering ; the rest like innermost one, but smaller. Teeth five or six, similar among themselves, flat, tapering, pointed. Mouth-shields heart-shaped, with a truncated angle turned inward, and inner sides a little re-enteringly curved; length to breadth, 1.5: 1.5. Side mouth- shields small, and almost wholly naked, connecting mnermost under arm-plate with mouth-shield. Under arm-plates squarish, rather broader than long, pretty strongly overlapping, bounded without by a long curve, within and on the sides by nearly straight lines, which are, how- ever, slightly re-enteringly curved, length to breadth (twelfth plate), 6:8. As the plates overlap a good deal, the imner laterals are very short, while the outer laterals form a common curve with the outer side ; hence comes the characteristic, even, square look of the plates. First plate narrow oval, with a projection without, separating a pair of pores ; next three or four plates with rather longer inner laterals, and more curved outer sides, than those beyond ; about two thirds out on arm, plates no longer oyerlap, so that inner laterals are well developed, giving 24 OPHIURA OLIVACEA. the plates nearly an octagonal shape. Side arm-plates encroaching less than usual between lower arm-plates. Upper arm-plates broader than long, bounded, without and within, by very straight, clean lines ; inner side shorter than outer; outer corners well rounded; three or four plates enclosed by projections from disk, and modified in form accord- ingly ; length to breadth (sixth plate), .9: 1.8; about two thirds out on arm, same general shape, but proportionately longer. Disk, except side mouth-shields and a very few naked scales at base of arm, closely coy- ered with very fine grains, about 170 to a square mm. Arm-spines six, of equal length and size, somewhat flattened, but little tapering, points rounded ; length to that of under arm-plate, .5:.6. Inside tentacle-scale oblong, with straight sides and rounded point; length to that of under arm-plate, .4:.6,; outside scale shorter and broader. Color, in alcohol : above, uniform dark sap-green, without bands on the arms ; below, the same, but lighter ; interbrachial spaces slightly mottled, and of a darker shade than arms. Variations. — The specimen above described is below the ordinary size of well-grown individuals. A specimen with a disk 14.5" in diam- eter had eight strongly flattened arm-spines, fifteen mouth-papille, and mouth-shields longer than broad, and pretty regular heart-shaped ; disk with about 130 grains to a square mm. The number of teeth varies somewhat; four seems to be most common. Copenhagen. co 417 .. | .. | St. Va-est-la-Hougue, | Hrance’se 0 16 A Gill Sree ne Jardin des Plantes. Gs 392 Sine || aun ol@ettesmtrancenwes | 7) Smear ces T. Lyman. 6 418 oo || o6 | Oram, Neem 9 Poaic co core Jardin des Plantes. as Ophiothrix Orstedii Lirxen. Ophiothrix Orstedii LitKeN. Vidensk. Meddelelser. Jan., 1856. Ophiothrix Orstedii LU1KEN. Addit. ad Hist. Oph., p. 149. Special Marks. — Bluish or greenish, with cross lines of white on arms, above. Spimes on disk slender and rather long. Description of a Specimen. — Diameter of disk, 8"; outer edge of mouth-shield to outer corner of opposite mouth-slit, 3.6"; width of arm without spines, 2.7"; leneth of arm about 58"; distance from outer edge of mouth-shield to the points of the tooth-papille, to that between the corners of the mouth-slits as 1.6: 1.6. Tooth- papille arranged in six horizontal rows, three in each row, except the lowest one, which has usually only two; they have the appearance of a bundle of small spines, soldered compactly side by side ; the papillz on the sides of each row project towards the centre of the mouth more than the middle one does. Teeth five, the highest small and somewhat pointed ; lowest evidently made of soldered tooth-papilla. The mouth- shields are closely soldered with the surrounding parts, so that it is OPHIOTHRIX ORSTEDII. as hard to distinguish their true outlines; they are nearly oval, with a slight peak towards the mouth; length to breadth as .6:1 or .8: 1. Madreporic mouth-shield longer, larger, and more swelled than the others ; length to breadth as 1:1. Side mouth-shields soldered closely with surrounding parts, slender and wedge-shaped, their broadest end being toward the arm; they run along the inner sides of the mouth- shield, and nearly meet at its immer points; leneth to breadth, .6 :.4, or .8:.4; as the madreporic mouth-shield extends inwards, the side mouth- shields are here reduced to small triangular pieces on each side. Gen- eral form of under arm-plates square, but broader than long ; the first, second, third, and fourth somewhat compressed sideways, and varying a little in their proportions ; the rest of the plates, even near the tip of the arm, nearly uniform in shape, each separated a little from its neigh- bors, the outer side a slightly re-entering curve, the lateral sides curved a little, the inner side not well defined, but nearly straight ; leneth to breadth (ninth), .7: 1; about two thirds the length of arm, .6: .6. Upper arm-plates covered, like those on the sides, with skin ; their out- lines can only be seen in dried specimens; there are four sides, of which the outer is curved, the two lateral straight, and the inner straight, but so short that the plate looks like a short wedge, with the point towards the disk ; the first three or four plates vary in size, but are all small, the imnermost often so small that the side arm-plates nearly or quite meet above; the plates beyond larger; length to breadth as follows: second plate, .6:.8, or .4:.6; seventh, .8:.8; inner side of seventh plate, .4™" ; the outer edge of each is slightly higher than the next plate, but does not overlap it. Disk, above, the large radial shields are nearly or quite naked ; the rest of the back takes the form of a ten-rayed star, with a small centre; the brachial rays are narrow, and separate each radial shield from its mate ; the interbrachial rays are wider, and separate the pairs of radial shields ; both are beset with spines; the measures are as follows: diameter of centre of star, 2.4™; length of brachial ray, 3"™; breadth of same, .4™™ ; breadth of interbrachial ray close to centre, 1", or 1.2"; width of radial shield at outer edge, 1.4™™ to 1.8™"; length of the same, 2™ to 2.2™; the brachial rays are of even width till near the base of the arm, where they contract; each bears a single row of about five long, tapering spines ; the interbrachial rays are of even width till near the edge of the disk, where they grow wider, and pass over the edge to the under surface of the disk ; the spines long and tapering, irregularly placed in three longitudinal rows, each of seven or eight; radial shields quite smooth, sometimes with a single spine. The spines of the brachial rays have a length of 1.2" to 1.6™™ ; those of the interbrachial rays, 1”™ to 12°". The second jomt bears only two small, nearly equal, slender spines, having a length to that of the under arm-plate as .8:.8. Third 156 OPHIOTHRIX ORSTEDII. joint, four small, slender spines, whose length to that of the lower arm- plate is as .8:.8; fourth joint, five spines, 1, 1, 1, 1, .8:.8; fifth joint, five spines, the upper ones much the longest ; sixth joint, nine spines, four upper ones, 2.8, 2.6, 2.2, 1:.8. Arm-spines of the seventh jomt have a length, compared with that of the under arm-plate, as follows : (beginning above), 2.8, 2.8, 2.8, 2.8, 2.2, 1.6, 1, .8, .6:.8; there may also be a short supplementary spine on one side above the upper long one. Seventh joint may also have only eight spines; eighth, eight spines, four long, four short; ninth, seven spines, two long, two middling, three short; tenth, eight spines, viz., 2, 2.8, 2.8, 1.6, 1.2, .8, .6, .4:.8; eleventh, seven spines, three long, four short; fifteenth joint, 2.4, 3.8, 3.8, 1.6, 1.2, 8, .5:.8. In the neighborhood of the twenty-fifth joint, the spines are only six, and have a length to that of the lower arm-plate as follows: 3.6, 3.6, 1.2, 1, .6,.4:.8. The longer spines, near the base of the arm, have on either edge from four to nine sharp thorns. The spines on the disk are rather less flattened and more slender, and have one or two thorns on each edge. The spinous rays of the back of the disk m an alcoholic specimen are dark cobalt blue, with a greenish hue ; radial shields the same, but lighter; tooth-papille white ; mouth-shields, side mouth-shields, under arm-plates, and side arm-plates, very light cobalt blue, with a greenish tinge, irregularly edged and speckled with white. Upper arm-plates bluish green mottled with white ; between the joints a triple line, consisting of a dark line, with an irregular white one on -each side. Arm-spines transparent greenish-blue, with purplish ends. Interbrachial spaces underneath similar to upper surface. Variations. — The color in alcohol is about the same as that of the living animal; it is either bluish or greenish. The young show the oblong scales of the disk very distinctly. The white cross lines on the arms easily distinguish this species from O. magnifica, which, moreover, is larger, and has much stouter spines. It is the most abundant species of Florida and the West Indies. OPHIOTHRIX SUENSONII. ls i7¢ LIST OF SPECIMENS. | ed i a | Wnence obtaaea, | at of Museum of Comparative Zodlogy. 116 if 5 | Tortugas, Fla. Feb. 1856. | T. Lyman. Alcoholic. 117 06 7 | Key Biscayne, Cape Florida. Feb. 1856. | T. Lyman. Bs 118 WA WMeCes I oa oan Prof. Agassiz. ee 119 12=F-|(CapenBloridas 9) jl) je ees a G. Wurdeman and J. E. Mills. Us 120 on 12+} Key West, Fla. Feb. 1856. | T. Lyman. % 121 bie 9 | Key West, Fla. Jan. 28,1858.) J. E. Mills. “ 122] .. 5 | Tortugas, Fla. Mh. 10, 1858.) J. EK. Mills. Gs 123 oe 12+! Tortugas, Fla. Feb. 1856. | T. Lyman. a5 TP We ane 12+| Key West, Fla. Mh. 6, 1858. | J. E. Mills. & 125 te 12+] Tortugas, Fla. Apr. 24,58. | J. E. Mills. us 126 5. Pea MoS | hacia pie | G. Wurdeman. oe 127 ete NYE isin none, Wel | cGogcas A. H. Riise. “ 128 Bee 3 | Bay of Cumana. - | ...... Capt. Couthouy. re 17)? | coe 12+] Cape Florida. Apr. 1858. | G. Wurdeman and J. E. Mills. & 130 65%» @ | Weslo, Hol oa pe University Museum, Copenhagen. ie 131 whe De a|Elorida asc eu tie Sias Prof. Agassiz. Dried. Smithsonian Institution. 1014 12=-| Tortugas, Bla, |) ww. . Capt. Woodbury and Dr. Whitehurst. | Alcoholic. 1005 12" | GardenuMeysortucass |Nto i omer -ud |p tier lanl mire) ome! (ol te & 1006 12+) Cape Florida. May, 1858. | G. Wurdeman. 1012 IDA} ork, 9 aie orate ocarste ll) aeososie ovo ope oe 1160 Ho Wiis Wich Weibel) Sac oo A. H. Riise. fe 1090 i | Ste Wino Welk 9 6 bo Siols A. H. Riise. Dried. Ophiothrix Suensonii Lirxen. Ophiothriz Suensonii LUTKEN. Vidensk. Meddelelser. Jan., 1856. Ophiothrix Suensonii LUTKEN. Addit. ad Hist. Oph., p. 148. Special Marks. — Arm-plates as long as broad. Only about five arm- spines ; upper one very long and slender. Color reddish, with a stripe of dark purple along arms. Description of a Specimen. — Diameter of disk, 7.5"; from outer side of mouth-shield to outer corner of opposite mouth-slit, 3.5™™ ; width of arm without spines, 1.5"; length of arm, 68"; distance from outer side of mouth-shield to inner points of tooth-papille, to that between outer corners of mouth-slits, 1.7: 1.7. Tooth-papille, eighteen, arranged in an oval figure, those outside longest, those in middle shorter ; each outside row has six. Teeth four, upper one long- 158 OPHIOTHRIX SUENSONII. est; rather thick, with rounded cutting edge. Mouth-shields very wide, short heart-shaped, with outer side straight, and a little peak within ; length to breadth, .5:1. Side mouth-shields short triangular, with cor- ners rounded, meeting within. Under arm-plates as long as broad, outer side longer than inner, corners rounded, a re-entering curve on lateral sides, where tentacle-scale comes; length to breadth (eighth plate), .7:.7. Side arm-plates strongly developed, and bearing stout projections to carry the arm-spines. Upper arm-plates about as lone as broad; outer side strongly curved; inner side straight, and much shorter than outer; laterals straight and sloping; length to breadth (seventh plate), .7:.7. Disk with naked radial shields ; brachial rays very narrow; on them and on the interbrachial rays and centre are scattered spines, long, thin, flattened, usually ending in a rather sharp point, about 2.2" in length, with about eight thorns on each edge. Radial shields presenting without an acute angle, terminating in a rounded peak ; length to breadth, 2.5:1.4. Interbrachial spaces below with a few spines of same character as those above, but much shorter. Arm-spines five, sometimes six, upper one commonly much the longest ; slender, sharp, somewhat flattened, with about nine thorns on each edge ; ninth joint, five spines; lengths to that of under arm-plate, 4.5, 3.5, 2.8, 1.5, .2:.7; the minute lowest spine becomes a hook very near base of arm. The spines near the end of the arm are extremely long and slender. Tentacle-scales flat, rounded at point, of about same size as lowest arm-spine. Color, in alcohol: above, disk pale purplish, with outer ends of radial shields yellowish ; along outer side of radial shields a narrow, raised edge of white ; a broad band of very dark purple run- ning along each arm, continued along brachial rays, and ending at centre of disk; side arm-plates mixed yellowish and purple ; below, interbrachial spaces purplish, with fine cross lines of white; a broad band of light purple, bordered on either side by light, running whole length of arm; arm-spines white. Variations. — In a specimen with a disk of 4°”, the spies on the disk were fewer, and were mostly confined to the centre ; those on the interbrachial spaces below were merely minute points; the lower arm- plates were longer, and their corners less rounded. In better preserved specimens the ground color was a dull lake-red (yellow ochre and red). This species is very distinct from others of America in having the arm-plates as long as broad, and only four or five very long, slender arm-spines. OPHIOTHRIX MAGNIFICA. 159 LIST OF SPECIMENS. — = Catalogue | Original | Number Be ae When The. rigees Nature of Number, | Number. of Spec. Locality. Collected. Whence ‘obtained: Specimen. Museum of Comparative Zodlogy. 144 ae 3 shin Aone, MYoIG 9 Il oan oo A. H. Riise. Alcoholic. 145 64 || Wes lbealesh = 6 6 o bun University Museum, Copenhagen. “ 146 991 1 | Carthagena, New Gre- | Dadar evan’ Ly WER 5 shh A. Schott. “ Smithsonian Institution. 991 ia 4 | Carthagena, New Gre- nada, Pee ere | POer Chott Alcoholic. 1112 os 2 Stn Mores, MWolG | 66 aac A. H. Riise. “ Ophiothrix magnifica Lymay. Ophiothrix magnifica LyMAN. Proceed. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., VIL. p. 254. 1860. Special Marks. — A large species ; back of disk closely spined ; arm- spines stout, round, somewhat tapering ; color bluish. Description of a Specimen. — Diameter of disk, 12.5" ; from outer side of mouth-shield to outer corner of opposite mouth-slit, 5.6"; width of arm without spines, 2.7°™; length of arm, 70™; distance from outer side of mouth-shield to inner points of tooth-papille, to that between outer corners of mouth-slits, 2.4: 2.4. Tooth-papille about thirty-six, arranged in two rows of about ten each, which diverge from above downward, and are filled in between by smaller papillz ; the papille grow shorter and smaller from above downward. Teeth six, squarish, moderately stout, with rounded cutting edge ; uppermost one thin, and so tapering as almost to be sharp. Mouth-shields small, almost circular ; length to breadth, 1: 1.2. Side mouth-shields meeting within. Under arm-plates covered with thick skin, and closely joined, so that their outline is indistinct ; im form irregular oval; outer side longer than inner, and slightly re-entering; lateral sides well rounded; length to breadth, .7: 1.3. Upper arm-plates small, with a strong median ridge ; diamond-shaped, with outer angle much rounded, lateral angles sharp, and inner angle very slightly truncated ; length to breadth (thirteenth plate), .7: 1.2. Brachial and interbrachial rays of disk closely beset with round, stout, tapering spines, of very even length; they are coy- ered with minute thorns, and terminate in a rather blunt crown of them; these spines have usually a length of about 1.37". Radial 160 OPHIOTHRIX MAGNIFICA. shields much obscured by surrounding spines, but bearing only a few small spines themselves; length to breadth, 3.5: 1.7. Arm-spines stout, rather blunt, rounded, slightly and regularly taperimg, deeply corru- gated lengthwise, bearing many small, blunt thorns; upper spines scarcely flattened at all; second and third spines usually longest and stoutest ; eleventh joint, eight spies; lengths to that of under arm- plate, 2.4, 2.6, 3.1, 2.1, 2.1, 1.5, .9, .5:.7. Tentacle-scales distinct, flat, rounded at their outer end. Color, in alcohol: above, disk dull indigo- blue (cobalt and indigo-blue) ; arms the same, but banded with lighter ; usually two or three joints to each band ; arm-spines faint blue ; below, interbrachial spaces a little hghter than upper surface ; under arm-plates variegated with cross lines and specks of white, and of darker and lighter blue, giving the arm a banded appearance. Variations. — The general color may incline more to greenish-blue, or, on the other hand, to purplish-blue ; and the marking of the under arm-plates may form more or less distinct bands. The largest specimen had the disk 14™™ in diameter, and some of the spines on the disk as long as 2.1". Many of the arm-spines were tipped with white. This very beautiful Ophiothriz belongs to the group which has only long spines on the back of the disk; it differs from O. Orstedii in greater stoutness and shortness of the disk-spimes, and in more cylin- drical arm-spines; it has more and shorter spines than O. Suensonii, and is larger than either of these species. LIST OF SPECIMENS. Catalogue | Original | Number 3 When . Nature of Number. | Number.| of Spec. Locality. | Collected. | Whence obtained. Specimen. Museum of Comparative Zoélogy. 150 | 1043 | 1. | Peru. Meteote eicosc | Mr. Raymond. | Alcoholic. Smithsonian Institution. 1043 Bie | | {<1 1 a metres eee | Mr. Raymond. | Alcoholic. OPHIOTHRIX VIRGATA, 161 Ophiothrix virgata Lymay. Ophiothrix virgata LyMAN. Proceed. Boston Soc. Nat. THist., VIL. p. 82. 1861. Special Marks. — Disk beset with slender spines. Arms twelve times as long as the diameter of the disk; alone their upper side, a clear white line, bordered by a narrow blue one on each side. Description of a Specimen. — Diameter of disk, 6"; width of arm without spines, 1"; length of arm, 75"™. Tooth-papill thirteen, in horizontal rows of two or three ; lowest ones the smallest. Teeth four, very thick and stout, standmg close together. Mouth-shields heart- shaped, with a pretty distinct pot inward, broader than long ; length to breadth, .8:1. Side mouth-shields meeting nearly, or quite, within. Under arm-plates four-sided, with cleanly rounded corners ; length to breadth (twelfth plate), .6:.7. Upper arm-plates wider without than within, outer side cleanly curved, lateral sides a little re-enteringly curved, and sloping towards the centre of the arm; length to breadth (eighth plate), .7:1. Disk above and below pretty closely covered with short, tapering, thorny spines, the longest 1™ in length, which nearly obscure the scaling of the disk, which may be distinguished through the skin. Radial shields nearly naked, separated by a single line of spmy scales ; length to breadth, 1.8: 1.2. Arm-spines six, slen- der, not swelled at the point, upper one commonly longest ; lengths to that of under arm-plate, 1.7, 1.7, 1.4, .9, .6,.5:.6. Tentacle-scales very distinct, round. Color, in alcohol: above, pale blue on the disk, the radial shields with a speck of white at their outer ends; arms obscurely banded with paler and darker blue; along the middle of the arm, a clear line of white, bounded by a narrow blue line on each side ; below, interbrachial spaces pale blue, the rest nearly white. Ophiothrix spongicola must be quite near this species, but its arms are much shorter, and the pattern of color different. LIST OF SPECIMENS. Catalogue | Original Number A When a Nature of Number. | Number. of Spec. Locality. | Collected. | Whence obtained. Specimen. Museum of Comparative Zodloyy. 337 | one | 1 | Kingsmills Islands. | rages | A. Garrett. | Alcoholic. 21 162 OPHIOTHRIX ANGULATA. Ophiothrix angulata Ayres. (PI. Il. Figs. 1-3.) Ophiura angulata Say. Journ. Phil. Acad., V. p. 145. 1825. Ophiothrix angulata AYRES. Proceed. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., IV. p. 249. Ophiothrix hispida AyRES. Proceed. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., IV. p. 249. Special Marks. — Pale bluish, with a white line along arms, and bands across them. Disk about 6.5"™. Arm-spines numerous; often ten or eleven near base of arm. About eighteen tooth-papille. Description of a Specimen. — Diameter of disk, 6.4"™ ; outer side of mouth-shield to outer corner of opposite mouth-slit, 2.8°™ ; width of arm without spines, 1.5"; length of arm, 38.4"; distance from outer side of mouth-shield to inner point of tooth-papille, to that between outer corners of mouth-slits as 1.6: 1.4. Tooth-papille like a bunch of short, stout, blunt spines, soldered by their sides ; arranged in five horizontal rows, of which the three highest have each four spines, the lowest one or two, and the other three; papillz often irregularly placed, not in rows ; the papillae on the sides of the rows project more towards centre than do the middle ones. Teeth four, highest smallest, all thickened so as to touch, or nearly touch, each other. Mouth-shields closely soldered with side mouth-shields and with surrounding parts; in shape nearly oval, with a slight peak towards mouth; length to breadth, .6:1; madreporic shield larger. Side mouth-shields closely soldered with sur- rounding parts, in shape elongated triangular. Under arm-plates some- what square; outer side a little re-enteringly curved ; laterals rather strongly curved; inner side nearly straight; plates pretty closely sol- dered with each other and with surrounding parts; innermost. plate small, nearly heart-shaped, with its joint imward ; second plate contracted at its inner end; general form of other plates square, till near tip of arm, where they gradually get more elongated, their lateral sides straighter, and their outer sides more strongly re-entering ; length to breadth (seventh plate), .5:.6 ; about two thirds the length of the arm, 4:.2; close to tip of arm, same proportion, but plates smaller, the breadths as above given ; show also the lengths of the outer sides ; the breadth of the inner side of the seventh plate is .4™. Side arm-plates covered with skin, so that their outlines are obscured, ridge bearmg arm-spines, hieh, narrow, and of even width. Upper arm-plates pretty clearly marked, at base of arm; each has four sides, an outer, much curved, an inner, very short, and two lateral, nearly straight ; inner side very short, so that plates seem like wedges, with their pomts turned inward ; first two or three plates shorter than those that follow ; plates near point of arm much elongated ; length to breadth as follows : first plate, .6 :.6 ; sixth plate, .6:.8; about two thirds the length of the arm, OPHIOTURIX ANGULATA. 168 .6:.4; close to tip of arm, plates longer in proportion. Along the mid- dle of each plate runs a ridge, and there is therefore a continuous ridge from the base to the point of the arm. Disk, above, with a raised star of ten rays and a small centre ; interbrachial rays high and broad, with a width of 1.2" near centre of disk, and of 1.6™™ at its edge ; closely beset with very small, short spines, ending in a triple fork ; about 34 spies to a square mm.; interbrachial rays, meeting in middle of disk, make a centre to the star, having a diameter of 2™ ; brachial rays very low and narrow, and tapering to a point before reaching edge of disk ; greatest width, .2"™ ; each bears a single row of forked spines. Radial shields, length 1.6", greatest width 1™™; each has about twelve scat- tered, forked spines. Besides short, forked spines, there are on the back of the disk a few longer, thorny spines, having a length of .8"", or 1™™, Jnterbrachial spaces below have a triangular patch of close-set spines, which is a continuation of the interbrachial ray from above, this patch is bounded by a stripe of bare skin, .8"", which runs along the edge of the genital slits to the mouth-shields. _Arm-spines, number of spimes and lengths compared with those of the under arm-plates: second joint, two spines, .4, .4:.6; third joint, four spines, .4, .4, .6,.6:.6; fourth joint, six spines, .4, .6, .6, .8, .8, .8:.6; fifth joint, eleven spines, 1.6, 1.6, 1.6, 1.2, 1.2, .8, .8, .8, .6, 4, .2:.6; sixth joint, ten spines, longest one 2™ ; seventeenth joint, six spines, 1.4, 2.8, 1.4, .6, .4,.2:.6; three fourths out on arm, five spines, 1.4, 2, .8, .4,.4:.4; the lowest spine has here the form of a heavy knife, bearing two or three hooks on its edge ; these hooks continue inwards to about the fiftieth joint from the tip, where they gradually take on the form of true spines; at the tip of arm, four spines, the lowest a hook. The longer and stouter spines, near base of arm, have usually a thorny, rather blunt end, and twelve or fifteen thorns on each edge. Tentacle-scales, from base of arm quite to the tip there is a small, stunted spine, with two or three thorns at its end, which answers to the tentacle-scale. Color, in alcohol: general tint, a faded, grayish cobalt blue; under arm-plates and mouth appa- ratus yellowish-white ; arms banded with darker blue; interbrachial spaces on back of disk darker than brachial spaces; a light lne run- ning along upper side of arm. Variations. — The differences in color of this species, when living, are very great. According to colored drawings of about twenty varie- ties, belonging to Professor Agassiz, the disk may be various shades of vermilion, pink, purple, blue, dull green, brown, and yellow ; the radial shields seem always to differ from the rest of the disk; the ground color of the arms, also, is usually different from that of the disk, and varies quite as much; the arms are always banded. In alcohol the color has always a faded look, the specimens being either whitish, or 164 OPHIOTHRIX VIOLACEA. else dull green or blue. The young, with a disk of 3™™, have arms 16™- in length ; the disk is already closely covered with small spines, each bearing a crown of three long, sharp thorns; the arm-plates are proportionately longer than in the adult, and the arm-spines have rather longer thorns. Very often the adult has only spines of the smaller sort on the disk. Some specimens have the disk as large as 7"™. O. angulata bears some resemblance to O. violacea ; the latter, how- ever, has not banded arms, and has no such variety of coloration when living; moreover, O. angulata is smaller, has under arm-plates pro- portionately longer, arm-spines commonly more numerous, and about eighteen tooth-papille, while O. violacea has as many as thirty. It differs from O. spiculata and O. dumosa in fewer tooth-papillz, shorter arm-spines, and in being a smaller species. LIST OF SPECIMENS. | Catalogue | Original | Number F When F Nature of Number. Number. | of Spec. Locality. Collected. Whence obtained. Specimen. Museum of Comparative Zodlogy. 32 12+ | Charleston, S. C. 1851. Prof. Agassiz. Alcoholic. 133 IPH || Chemaeson Ss Co? | cougoo | so9 odo oc 06 us 134 12+ | Charleston, S. C. 1852. Prof. Agassiz. 6“ 135 ano 1 Waccamaw, S. C. 1853. Prof. Agassiz. of 390 2% 5 Noun (Chw@lings — || gaedio || googedgo0000 “ Smithsonian Institution. O82hanl wm 12+ | South Carolina. liveeee aero Mr. Kurtz. Alcoholic. Ophiothrix violacea Mit. & Troscu. Stella marina minor echinata purpurea? SLOANE. Voy. to Jamaica, p. 272, pl. 244, f. 8,9. 14725. STELLA SCOLOPENDROIDES ; Jamaicensis purpurea? Linck. De Stel. Mar., p. 51. 1733. Ophiothrix violacea Mii. & Troscu. Syst. Asterid., p. 115. 1842. Ophiothrix caribaea LUTKEN. Vidensk. Meddelelser. Jan., 1856. Ophiothria Kréyeri LUvKeN. Vidensk. Meddelelser. Jan., 1856. Ophiothrix violacea LUTKEN. Addit. ad Hist. Oph., p. 150 1859. Special Marks. — Dark-purplish blue, with a white line along the arm. Small, forked spines on the disk, with a few long ones. Description of a Specimen. — Diameter of disk, 10"; from outer a ? ) side of mouth-shield to outer corner of opposite mouth-slit, 4"; width of arm without spines, 2.3"; length of arm, 62"; distance from outer side of mouth-shield to inner points of tooth-papille, to that between — outer corners of mouth-slits, 2: 1.7. Tooth-papillae arranged in an oval OPHIOTHRIX VIOLACEA. 165 figure, about thirty in number; those on sides larger and longer than central ones; lowest ones smaller, and more rounded and spine-like ; upper ones larger and more flattened. Teeth three, thin, delicate, flat- tened, squarish. Mouth-shields diamond oval, with an angle inward and a curve without; length to breadth, 7: 1.2; madreporice shield larger than others, and rounded. The two plates that joim the outer side of the mouth-shield, making thus a bridge between the inner ends of the genital slits, are quite conspicuous. Side mouth-shields triangu- lar, elongated, nearly meeting within mouth-shield proper; they are closely soldered with surrounding parts, and are hard to see except in a dry specimen. Under arm-plates broader than long, with a strongly re-entering curve on outer side; inner side nearly straight; lateral sides curved, or shghtly angular; plates near base of arm have their outer side raised a little above succeeding plate ; plates within margin of disk narrower, and more closely soldered to each other than those beyond ; length to breadth (fourteenth plate), .7: 1; about two thirds out on arm, plates nearly square, a little longer, however, than broad, with a re-entering curve in outer side, though less strong than in the plates near base of arm. Side arm-plates encroaching so much above as nearly to meet each other, even near base of arm. Upper arm-plates short diamond-shaped, with a slight median ridge; outer and inner angles more or less rounded ; length to breadth (seventh plate), .7 : 1.2; about two thirds out on arm, plates have same general form, but are about as long as broad. Disk, above, closely beset with short spines without lateral thorns, each, however, crowned with three or four thorns ; less numerous on radial shields ; about 56 to a square mm., where they stand thickest. Towards centre of disk a few longer spines, like those of arms, but more slender and shorter. Below, interbrachial spaces covered with spines somewhat longer than the short ones above. Ra- dial shields beset with scattered spies; length to breadth, 2.4:1; their interbrachial side is strongly curved; their brachial side nearly straight, or a little re-enteringly curved ; where they meet, just at their outer end, they have a slight protuberance ; for the rest of their length they are separated by a tapering brachial stripe. Arm-spines about eight, long and slender; largest ones with fifteen to twenty thorns on each edge; lengths to that of under arm-plate as follows: (seventh joint,) 2.5, 3, 2.7, 2.3, 1.6, 1.6, .5:.7. Sometimes there are as many as eleven spines, but the additional ones are very short, and are the low- est. About half-way out on arm six spines, lowest one broad and flat, with hooks on its edge ; four upper ones long. Tentacle-scale minute, sharp, conical, usually simple, sometimes with a crown of two or three microscopic thorns. Color, in alcohol: above, bluish purple; along median line of arm, a narrow stripe of clear white, bounded each side by a dark stripe ; two fine white spots on lateral corners ; arm-spines 166 OPHIOTHRIX VIOLACEA. with a purplish tint ; below, chewing apparatus yellowish, mouth-shields white, speckled with purplish blue ; under arm-plates the same, but, in addition, bordered with pale purplish-blue ; interbrachial spaces finely mottled with white and purplish blue. Variations. — The color differs chiefly in being darker or paler; in the former case, the white spots on the upper arm-plates may be oblit- erated, and even the longitudinal white line become quite faint. Often the under arm-plates are white through the centre, while the lateral sides are dark blue. The proportions of disk to arms present such differences as the following: 9:55, 10:44, 7.5:42,5:23. Dr. Liitken gives a measurement as high as 10:80. The average of seven meas- urements of the length of under arm-plates compared to that of longest arm-spines, near base of arm, was .7: 3.1; the extremes were .6:3 and .8: 3.2. The spines on the upper surface of the disk vary somewhat m number and also in the length of their thorns; those below vary very much in number, being sometimes closely set, sometimes almost want- ing, sometimes thorny, sometimes smooth. The side mouth-shields sometimes quite meet within. This species is apparently much more common at St. Thomas and the neighboring islands than in Florida. Certainly in Key West it is com- paratively very rare. It is distinguished from other species as follows: from O. Orstedii, by short, forked spines of disk, and different pattern of color in alcohol; from O. Swensonii, by short, forked spies of disk, and a white median line along arm, instead of a dark one ; from O. lineata, by more slender and numerous arm-spines, and by short, forked spines of disk ; from O. angulata, by greater size (7™" diameter of disk, corresponds in O. angulata to about 10" in O. violacea), by fewer long spines on disk, and by a much darker pattern of color, when in alcohol. LIST OF SPECIMENS. | y Catalogue | Original | Number : When f . Nature of Number™ NGIaber: of Spec: Locality. | Collected. Whence/obtained: Specimen. Museum of Comparative Zoology. 137 4 || Jeremie, Hayitin yg 4) ve ore Dr. D. F. Weinland. | Alcoholic. 138 ae 7 StaBhomas:iWeele ilieeees chee A. H. Riise. G 139 66" Y WIR dames, ~ I a a 6 done Univ. Mus.Cop’hagen. Ge 140 66° AW A\Wesmaiiess | cedacs Univ.Mus.Cop’hagen. as (?) 141 12+) Charlotte’s Harbor, Fla.) ...... G. Wurdeman. ce Smithsonian Institution. 1017 iW AWeSbinohas, ~~ = |) aod Univ.Mus.Cop’hagen.| Alcoholic. 1016 ts 1 RO damit, | | soen0n Univ. Mus. Cop’hagen. ce 1159 oe Bye Cie Wienges Wied 9 |! G5 dv oho A. H. Riise. 1088 OF Sis WN, WWeolb 9 IW 6 a 65% 0 A. H. Riise. | Dried. 1111 2 Sis Wome MoI || So a aes A. H. Riise. | Alecholic. OPHIOTHRIX SPICULATA. 167 Ophiothrix spiculata LeConre. Ophiothrix spiculata J. L. LreConte. Proceed. Phil. Acad., V. p. 318. 1851. Ophiothrix spiculata LUrKEN. Addit. ad Hist. Oph., p. 151. 1859. Special Marks. — Pale cobalt-blue in alcohol ; longest arm-spines to under arm-plates as 3.1:.6. Disk sometimes as large as 11.5" ; speci- mens variable. Description of a Specimen. — Diameter of disk, 9"; from outer side of mouth-shield to outer corner of opposite mouth-slit, 4" ; width of arm without spines, 2"; length of arm, 51"; distance from outer side of mouth-shield to inner points of tooth-papillx, to that between outer corners of mouth-slits, 2:2. Tooth-papille, lowermost ones rounded, small, stout, making a cluster of about twelve ; between this cluster and the teeth there are six very large, stout papille arranged in pairs. Teeth five, flattened, squarish, with rounded edge unusually stout and thick; uppermost one smaller and more tapering. Mouth- shields broader than long, with a slight peak inward ; without, rounded ; length to breadth, .8: 1.4. Side mouth-shields meeting within. Under arm-plates broader than long, inner side shorter than outer, outer side a little re-enteringly curved, inner side nearly straight, lateral sides irrecularly curved, outer corners strongly rounded ; length to breadth (eleventh plate), .6:1; first four or five plates smaller and more square. Upper arm-plates with a median ridge, diamond-shape, with lateral cor- ners acute, outer corners rounded, and inner corner truncated ; length to breadth (third plate), .6:1. Brachial and interbrachial rays of disk closely beset with small and large spines, the small being usually about 4™™- Jong, surmounted by a crown of from three to six thorns, and some- times with one or two thorns on their sides ; the large ones are some- times as long as 1.7™™, similar in shape to arm-spines, but more slender, and bearing from five to eight fine thorns on each edge, and three or four at the tip. In interbrachial spaces below, only a few short, scattered spines; none at all close to mouth-shields. Radial shields large ; length to breadth, 2.5:2; though obscured by the surrounding spines, they are themselves nearly naked, bearing only a few short spines, which are chiefly on the inner angle ; they touch each other with their outer end, which is a little swelled, and has a short, narrow, raised edge. Arm-spines near base of arm, usually seven, rather slender, slightly tapering ; longest ones with from fourteen to twenty-four fine thorns on each edge, and a cluster of still finer ones at the end; upper spine most tapering; second one longest, and cut off pretty square at the end, as are also the third and fourth spines; second spine often has a 168 OPHIOTHRIX SPICULATA. length as great as 3.5"™, and sometimes even 3.8""; eighth joint, seven spines ; lengths to that of under arm-plate, 3, 3.2, 2.3, 1.5, 1.6, .4:.6. Tentacle-scale, instead of being spiniform, is flat and square, ending in four or five microscopic points. Color, in alcohol : above, faded cobalt- blue, with a brownish tinge towards centre of disk; along centre of arm a faint line of lighter; below, interbrachial spaces pale cobalt-blue ; other parts the same, but lighter. In the living animal “the body is dark fuscous above, and pale beneath ; every fifth ventral plate on the arms is sometimes red or brown,” and the apex of the arm-spines is fre- quently black (LeConte); or the main color may be greenish, the upper arm-plates violet, and every fourth joint red (Dr. Orsted). Variations. — Either this species is very variable, or else there are two or more species at present confounded under it. The specimen above described may be considered as the type ; from which, however, there are considerable deviations, both in the armature of the disk and the length of the arm-spines. Mitt. & Troscu. Tyre OF THE GENUS, O. pentagona Miill. & Trosch. Disk and arms wholly covered with a thick, naked skin. No tooth- papille. Mouth-papille and teeth im the form of flattened lobes, with saw-like cutting edges. Arm-spines stout, bulging at the base, thorny at the point, covered round the base with thick skin ; near the tip of the arm, the lower arm-spine has hooks along its edge. Arms rounded ; arm-plates imperfectly developed. No tentacle-scales. Two genital slits, beginning outside the mouth-shield. SPECIES HEREIN DESCRIBED. Ophiomyra flaccida. Ophiomyxa pentagona. 23 178 OPHIOMYXA FLACCIDA. Ophiomyxa flaccida Lirxen. (Pl. Il. Fig. 6; Figs. 18, 19.) Ophiura flaccida Say. Journ. Phil. Acad., V. p. 151. 1825. Ophiomyxa caribewa LUTKEN. Vidensk. Meddelelser. March, 1856. Ophiomyxa flaccida Lu1Ken. Addit. ad Hist. Oph., p. 138. Special Marks. — Color, alive, lake-red or orange ; in alcohol, olive green or bright green, sometimes mottled with lighter. Four to six arm-spines. Arms four or five times as long as diameter of disk. Description of a Specimen. — Diameter of disk, 22™>; from outer side of mouth-shield to outer corner of opposite mouth-slit, 10" ; width of arm without spies, 4.5"™; leneth of arm, 102"; distance from outer side of mouth-shield to inner points of teeth, to that between outer corners of mouth-slits, 4.2: 4.6. Mouth-papille, four to each side of the angle of the jaw; the outer one is, however, rudimentary, and has no saw-like edge ; the others are of about equal size, but the two inner ones have their saw-like edge more coarsely divided than the second one. Teeth eight, closely resembling mouth-papil- le; the upper ones with the cutting edge more rounded and nearly smooth. Mouth- shields and side mouth-shields without dis- tinct outline, except in dried specimens ; the former are rounded diamond-shape ; length to breadth about 2: 1.7. Side mouth-shields long triangular, nearly meeting within. Under arm-plates, in dried specimens, are faintly indicated by an oval outline, with a notch in the outer side ; length to breadth about 1: 1.5. Upper arm-plates, in dried specimens, appear as transverse, elongated, oval ridges, with sharp lateral corners. Skin of the disk somewhat wrinkled. Arm-spines four, short, flattened, conical, covered nearly to the tip with skin; their thorns numerous; second joint, one spine; third joint, two spines; fifth joint, three spines; ninth joint, four spines; lengths 3 to that of the joint (twelfth jomt), 1.5, 1.1, Pea er anaes 1.1, 11:2. The under arm-spine, near the tip of the arm, has four or five little hooks along its edge. Genital slits short, reaching only one half or two thirds the distance to the margin of the disk, furnished with a small lobe near the mouth-shields. Color, in alcohol: above, dirty olive-green, with a few irregular rings of yellowish towards ends of arms; centre of disk Fig. 18. Ophiomyxa flaccida. (Upper side.) Fig. 19. OPHIOMYXA FLACCIDA. 179 inclining to yellowish green; below, interbrachial spaces like upper surface ; the other parts pale sap-green. Variations. —The number of arm-spines varies from four to six, or even seven; and this does not seem entirely to depend on size. The color, in alcohol, is usually some shade of green, either plain sap or olive green, or bright green mottled and banded with yellowish. Occa- sionally the color of the upper parts is deep brownish-green. Liitken’s ficure, which is not correctly drawn, gives the color as red (burnt-lake). A colored drawing of the living animal, belonging to Professor Agassiz, is yellowish orange (yellow ochre and orange chrome), with a few lighter bands near the ends of the arms. Probably the color varies through several tints of red and of orange. This species has been taken, in from three to five fathoms of water, at Santa Cruz and St. Thomas (Orsted, Riise). At the latter place Mr. Riise has found it in the holes made in corals by boring mollusks. It is not uncommon on the coast of Florida, near low-water-mark. Say’s description was evidently from a dried specimen, as he mentions the row of overlapping scales along the upper margin of the disk. LIST OF SPECIMENS. | Sse || Ses clita, | wnence tatnet, |. Bart Museum of Comparative Zodlogy. 404 lblagin. =~ 5 ae PE elec o.6 Dr. Weinland. Alcoholic. 155 1 | Key West, Fla. Mh. 6, 1858. | J. E. Mills. os 156 Sine eEplOvidasyg | ce) |e ctu taeae scene Prof. Agassiz. a 157 1 Tortugas, Fla. Apr. 24,58. | J. E. Mills. 6 158 1 | Key West, Fla. Jan. 28,1858.) J. E. Mills. — 6 159 2 | Cape Florida. Apr. 1858. G. Wurdeman and J. E. Mills. &“ 160 @ |Sie Wome, Welb ~~ || sé6 050 A. H. Riise. oe 161 Se IE) Wihomels dW SG a G. Wurdeman. “ 162 ae SielNVestelndiesss Selman i ccen- tone University Museum, | Copenhagen. xc 163 oar leeel@Aloridas: listers une esis G. Wurdeman. Dried. AG Aetna h Duala ace lees Fell echoes al eee “ 353 | ee citeee || JamiaiCas, eee meee en iP meet vis on Amherst College. Ww Snuthsonian Institution. 1044 A Cre ion i! gacena G. Wurdeman. Alcoholic. 988 1 Cape Florida. BRIS 7 Tl = bs Gots lao Soro WS 1042 1 TRO | li Be Sct If eo aligtat stand iollbto Ws 983 ee | ortuoass Ei atee ween wn|eeas uence Dr. Whitehurst. 1076 2D \ Sits Bonny Nivel i) 6 4%5-6 oc A. H. Riise. i 1087 1 Sto IU WotG Nl &sis.o oo A. H. Riise. tf 1103 2» || Shin INromesh, Vive 1b = 68d dal alts A. H. Riise. e 1155 Ata tStsebhomasWolsy © 0 |) sec eas = A. H. Riise. Dried. | ‘ 180 ASTROPHYTON. Ophiomyxa pentagona Mir. & Troscn. Ophiura pentagona LAMK. An.s. Vert., I. p. 546. Ophiomyxa pentagona Miu. & Troscn. Syst. Asterid., p. 108. LIST OF SPECIMENS. | Catalogue | Original Number A When ° Nature of Number. | Number. of Spec. Locality. | Collected. | Whence/obtained: Specimen. Museum of Comparative Zodlogy. 429 | wee | Bus | Alger. | Pen GOS jagargis des Plantes. as ASTROPHYTON Linck. Type or tHE Genus, A. arborescens.* Disk and arms covered with thick skin, without scales. Radial shields extending nearly or quite to the centre of the disk, and form- ing more or less elevated radial ribs. Two short genital slits in each interbrachial space, lyimg close to the margin of the disk. Teeth, tooth-papilla, and mouth-papille all similar and spiniform. Arms forked many times. No arm-spines, except at the tips-of the branches, where they have the form of microscopic hooks. Tentacle-scales. Un- der and side arm-plates very small, and buried beneath the skin of the under side of the arm. SPECIES HEREIN DESCRIBED. Disk entirely granulate above ; grains flat; ribs low, A. arborescens. Disk entirely granulate above ; ribs distinct, A. Lamarchii. Only ribs closely granulate, { 2 eee A, Caryi. Ribs with a few short, irregular spines, A. Agassizit. Disk above closely beset with thorny stumps, A. Linckii. Disk closely beset above with little thorny spines, A. clavatum. Iligh ribs bearing a few clavate stumps, A. costosum. * As the specific identification of Linck’s plates cannot now be made, I have taken the oldest described species, Stella Arborescens Rond., as the generic type. ASTROPHYTON EUCNEMIS. 181 Astrophyton arborescens Mir. & Troscn. Stella arborescens RONDELET. De Pisce. Mar., p. 121. 1554. Euryadle costosum LamxK. Hist. Anim. s. Vert., If. p. 538. 1816. Astrophyton costosum AGAss. Mém. de la Soc. Sciences Nat. Neuchatel, p. 11. 1839. Astrophyton arborescens Muu. & Troscu. Syst. Asterid., p. 124. 1842. LIST OF SPECIMENS. Catalog Original | Number P When . Nature of NuniReES Nariber| of Spec. Locality. Collected. Whence obtained. specie’ Museum of Comparative Zodlogy. 472 as i, || Wiesner -- ll o 6 oS “Wewtorease 6-656 4 Dried. 437 ia il |Weetieumrcm | se e6o6 Jardin des Plantes. | Alcoholic. Astrophyton Lamarckii Mutt. & Troscu. Asterias caput-meduse ? Linn. Fauna Suecica. 1761. No. 2115. Astrophyton Lamarckii Mtxiu. & Troscu. Syst. Asterid., p. 123. 1842. LIST OF SPECIMENS. Catalogue | Original | Number - Whe 3 Nature of Nae Nasben chSpes: Locality. callestaa | Whence obtained. Susciinen® Museum of Comparative Zodlogy. 463 #4 | 1 North Europe. | Sedona sets : | Prof. Sars. Alcoholic. | Astrophyton eucnemis Mitt. & Troscu. Zottenkopf KNorr. Delicia Nat. Select., II. p. 34, Pl. G, figs. 1 and 2. 1787. Asterias caput-meduse Fapricius (non Linn.). Fauna Grenlandica, No. 367. Asterias caput-meduse DewuurRst. Nat. Hist. Ord. Cetacea. Astrophyton eucnemis Mt. & Troscu. Syst. Asterid., p. 123. 1842. Astrophyton eucnemis LUTKEN. Addit. ad Hist. Oph., p. 70. Special Marks. — Disk granulated. Radial ribs more or less closely granulated ; the grains, in the adult, being about the size of those on the upper surface of the arms, but larger in younger specimens. Be- low, interbrachial spaces either apparently naked, or with very few scattered grains. 182 ASTROPHYTON EUCNEMIS. a Description of a Specimen. — Diameter of disk, 87"; from outer side of madreporic shield to outer corner of opposite mouth-slit, 23™™ ; breadth of arm inside the first fork, 20". Distances from each fork to the next beyond : — First fork to RECON 5 5.96 6 5 JIG Second Ge (lve Rsa eG ken aihel? Third oy fourth) sei) seuss ues Ons Fourth Ge fifth, .2.o.5, how cba aaa oe Fifth ao Sotho 6 5 oo oe ee Sixth Gh Red Go 6 ap o ail) Seventh ie GE, oo 6 5 o Be Eighth Bo minty eee eee seem eace Ninth cece Gerth; ca eycigswetom ) ASTROPHYTON CARYI. 185 smaller; most of them are clustered near the point of the mouth-angle. Arms covered above and on the sides with fine grains, which are erouped near the base of the arm in irregular vertical ridges ; these ridges become more regular and distinct towards the end of the arm, and on the smaller branches take the form of a double vertical row of grains ; along the middle le of the arm runs a very obscure narrow furrow, in which the grains are rather more scattered. Under side of the arms covered with a smooth skin, beset with fine, scattered, smooth grains ; the joints are indicated by very faint cross limes. Interbrachial spaces above, and brachial spaces between the radial ribs, sprinkled with a few fine grains, like those of the arms, but coarser. The upper and lower surfaces are separated by a raised edge, which is slightly granulated. Radial ribs extending quite to the centre, closely beset with coarse, rounded grains; length to breadth, 17:5. Interbrachial spaces below covered with a very smooth skin, which is sprinkled with fine rounded grains. Genital slits bordered on the side next the inter- brachial space by rows of fine grains. The granulation of the interbra- chial space extends to the base of the mouth-angle. Arm-spines all hooked, microscopic, the lowest one largest, arranged in two vertical rows; they are abundant on the end twigs, but are not found on the main trunks within the seventh fork from the disk. Tentacle-scales three, sometimes four, and within the disk commonly two; spiniform, like the teeth, but blunter; they extend within the inner end of the interbrachial space. Color, in alcohol: above, light vandyke-brown ; interbrachial spaces darker ; below, under surface of arm nearly white ; interbrachial spaces same as above. A single specimen has been sent from San Francisco by Mr. T. G. Cary, to the Museum of Comparative Zodlogy. Astrophyton Caryi is distinguished from A. ewcnemis, which it re- sembles, by more regular granulation of the disk, by having blunter tentacle-scales, and by close rows of grains along the edge of the genital slits. LIST OF SPECIMENS. Catalogue | Original | Number - When a Nature of Number. | Number.) of Spec. Locality. | Collected. Whence obtained. Specimen. Museum of Comparative Zodlogy. 445 | | 1 | San Francisco, Cal. | Reis. tients T. G. Cary. Alcoholic. | 186 ASTROPHYTON AGASSIZII. Astrophyton Agassizii Srueson. “The Basket Fish.” Philosophical Transactions, IV. p. 1152. 1670. (J. Winthrop.) ASTROPHYTON SCUTATUM; scuto rotato? Linck. De Stel. Mar., p. 65, Pl. XXIX. & XXX. 1733. Euryale scutatum GouLd (non De Blainville). Invertebrata of Mass., p. 345. Astrophyton Agassizii Stimpson. Inverteb. Grand Manan, Smithson. Contrib., VI. p. 12. 1854. Special Marks. — Radial ribs yellowish ; interbrachial spaces brown- ish. Numerous short, conical spines irregularly disposed on the radial ribs. Interbrachial spaces above naked, or with very few blunt, short spines. Description of a Specimen. — Diameter of disk, 75"; outer side of madreporic shield to outer corner of opposite mouth-slit, 24" ; width of arm at base, 24"; length of arm, measured along the branches to the tip of the longest branch, 260". The distances from one fork to the one beyond it along the longest branch, were as follows (two branches from different arms are compared) : — From first fork to eeeoth 5 oo OE 5 4 6. Jase * second iy G Wel co 8g ol Gg «third! ccc OUI, 5 6 oo SLB |G ow 4S “ fourth i iis 6 6 o o ee & a7 Oe fitth: GS & Sb var le vor DP gang con OD SPsixth DO Pins 5 6 Oe 34 + * seventh mes Gel Gg 5 6 US 5 5 oo is © “eighth Go MiTithis, yy ceo eo lt Ome erie LO ce “ninth G tenth, thet pres aed 1 Migr pelts arc “tenth Gg Geren a oo SO 5 4 6 Jn) “eleventh Go & twelfth; ("ce i SRR eons “twelfth GG end, 42) ae Be 19 AO Pe aie 244m. 260™™ Distance from outer side of madreporic shield to inner points of mouth- papilla, to that between outer corners of mouth-slits, 15:8. Mouth- papillz, tooth-papille, and teeth, about twenty-four in all, cylindrical, tapering, thorn-like ; mouth-papille forming a row of about ten, of which those near corners of mouth-slits are smallest ; length of tooth- papilla about 1.8™™. Madreporic shield broad heart-shape, with the point outward; irregular, indistinct; length to breadth, 4.2: 6.2. Under surface of arms smooth and polished, with faint cross lines between the joints. Top and sides of arms nearly naked as far as the second fork of the arm, but beyond that granulated. Grains smooth, rounded ; above, crowded; on the sides more scattered; as they ap- proach the end of the arm they become more confined to vertical ridges, and more regular in arrangement; and at the tip of the arm ASTROPHYTON AGASSIZIL. 187 each joint has its double vertical row of large, close-set grains ; along the upper surface runs a sunken line or furrow. Disk with interbra- chial spaces below nearly naked, though bearing a few points not easy to see; above smooth, with a few scattered conical points; on the margin a raised edge, separating the upper and lower surfaces. Radial ribs large, prominent (particularly without), running nearly to the centre, and bearing a number of irregular grains, and low, conical points ; length to breadth, 50:8; height (above upper surface of arm), 8"™. Genital slits with two to four large flat grains along the edge next the inter- brachial space, and ending without in a blunt, conical point. Arm- spines microscopic, hooked; most numerous at the tips of the branches ; found in numbers as far as the fifth fork from the disk, within which point they speedily disappear; at tips of branches arranged in two vertical rows, each spine standing on a rounded grain as a base. Ten- tacle-scales spiniform, resembling mouth-papille, standing in a close row; commonly three, sometimes four, near the mouth only two or one; they extend, though fewer and smaller, as far as the inner end of the interbrachial spaces. Color, in alcohol: arms and radial ribs light yellowish-brown (near raw sienna); disk and interbrachial spaces below dark purplish-brown. The living animal has the radial ribs yellow, and the interbrachial spaces brown (Stimpson). Variations. — A smaller specimen, with a disk of 31", had arms with nine forks, of the following proportions : — From first fork to COG =~ 5 6 o 6 apis “ second Gee iwirl 6 9 o ao ext) we “third ca MOUIN 5 5 56 o o wey “ fourth G & tidy wee to. melee “fifth Gy Sediin a5 6 a oo dle « sixth eas Fevent, Aa o 56 6 IG ® “ seventh fog Geilo o 6 5 o eo “eighth eg & mim ¢ 6 o o oa LO % “ ninth ost Gh ‘5s 6 so pio JMO) 133™™- The radial ribs were more regularly covered with short, conical spines, than in the adult. In the interbrachial spaces above there were scarcely any grains, but below and on the edge of the disk there were numerous fine grams. The granulation of the arms was not so close as in the adult, and was more confined to vertical ridges. A very young speci- men, with a disk of 2™™, had arms 4.3" long; there was but one fork in the arm, and this was at a distance of 2.2™" from the disk. Except for this fork, the specimen might have almost been mistaken for the young of Ophiopholis bellis. The hack of the disk was covered with about a dozen angular plates, which were separated by single rows of 188 ASTROPHYTON AGASSIZII. large, rounded grains. The armature of the mouth consisted only of a single vertical row of conical teeth, whereof the lowest seemed some- times to be split in two. The joints of the arms were constricted at the base, just as in a simple armed Ophiuran, and bore but a single row of small, hooked spies; the upper surface was clothed with large, round grains ; the lower with a small, diamond-shaped under arm-plate, and side arm-plates, which met on the middle line. Two specimens, with disks of 3" and 4™", had arms with two forks, and the disk pretty closely covered with grains, so that the plates were no longer distinct. Astrophyton Agassiz has been obtained from the Gulf of Saint Lawrence (Captain Atwood), from Grand Manan Island (Stimpson), and from Cape Cod (Captain ate It is distinguished re eadily from A. ewcnemis and A. Caryi by the short, blunt, conical spies on the radial ribs. The following letters of Governor John Winthrop deserve notice, as showing that this smgular animal early attracted the attention of our forefathers. The descriptions themselves are quite worthy of a regularly educated naturalist : — PurtosornicaLt Transactions, Vol. IV. Page 1152. 1670. An Extract of a Letter written by Joun WinturRor, EsQ., Governor of Connecticut in New England, to the Publisher, concerning some Natural Curiosities of those Parts, especially a very strange and very curiously contrived Fish, sent for the Repository of the Royal Society. “ There is, besides, in a large round Box, a strange kind of Fish, which was taken by a Fisherman when he was fishing for Codfish in that Sea which is without Massachuset Bay in N. England. It was living when it was taken, which was done, I think, by an hook. The name of it I know not, nor can I write more particularly of it, because I could not yet speak with the Fisherman who brought it from Sea. I have not seen the like. The Mouth is in the middle; and they say that all the arms you see round about were in motion when it was first taken. “We omit the other particulars here, that we may reflect a little upon this elaborate piece of Nature. ‘The Fish, which, since it is yet nameless, we may call Piscis Echino- Stellaris Visciformis ; its Body (as was noted by M. Hook) resembling an Echinus or Egeg-fish, the main Branches a Star, and the dividing of the branches the Plant Missel-toe. This Fish spreads itself from a Pentagonal Root, which incompasseth the Mouth (being in the middle) into 5 main Limbs or branches, each of which, just at issuing out from the Body, subdivides itself into two, and each of those 10° branches do again divide into two parts, making 20 lesser branches ; Each of which again,divide into 2 smaller branches, making in all 40. These again into 80, and those into 160 3, and they into, 32 20 ; they into 640; into 1280; into 2 560; ; into 5120; ; into 102f0 ; ; Into 20480; into 40960 ; into 81920; beyond which the further expanding of the Fish could not be certainly trac’d, though possibly each of those 81920 small sprouts or threds, in which the branches of this Fish seem’d to terminate, might, if it could have been examined when living, have been found to subdivide yet farther. The Branches between the Joynts were not equally of a length, though, for the most part, pretty near ; but those Branches which were on that side of the , 1 | ASTROPHYTON AGASSIZII. 189 Joynt on which the preceding Joynt was placed were always about a 4th or 5th part longer than those on the other side. Every of these Branchings seemed to have, from the very mouth to the smallest twigegs or threds in which it ended, a double chain or rank of pores. The Body of the Fish was on the other side, and seems to have been protuberant, much like an Kchinus (Egg-Fish or Button-Fish), and, like that, divided into 4 ribbs or ridges, and each of these seemed to be kept out by two small bony ribbs.” Vol. VI. Page 2221. 1671. A further Accompt of the Stellar Fish formerly described in Numb. 57, p. 1153. This Accompt was communicated by the same Gentleman that imparted the former, in a letter written from Boston, New England, Oct. 26, 1670, as followeth : — “Since my former I found out the Fisherman who brought that Stellar fish from Sea. T asked all the questions I could think needful concerning it. I understood from him that he never saw nor heard of any but those few that were taken by himself, which were not above six or seven in all, and those at several times, not far fromthe Shoals of Nantucket (which is an Island upon the Coast of New England) when he was fishing for Cod and such like Marchantable fish. This Stellar Fish, when it was alive, and first pull’d out of the water, was like a basket, and had gathered itself round like a Wicker-basket, having taken fast hold upon that bait on the hook which he had sunk down to the bottom to catch other Fish, and having held that within the surrounding brachia, would not let it go, though drawn up into the Vessel; until, by lying a while on the Deck, it felt the want of its natural Element; and then voluntarily it extended itself into the flat, round form in which it appear’d when present’d to your view. “ What motion these fishes had in the water could not be known to him, for the water was deep, and they could not be seen in any other form than so gather’d up together to hold fast the bait. The only use that could be discerned of ull that curious composure wherewith Nature had adorned it, seems to be to make it as a pursenet to catch some other fish, or any other thing fit for its food, and as a basket of store to keep some of it for future supply, or as a receptacle to preserve and defend the young ones of the same kind from fish of prey; if not to feed on them also (which appears probable the one or the other), for that sometimes there were found pieces of Mackerel within that concave. And he told me that once he caught one, which had within the hollow of its embracements a very small fish of the same kind, together with some piece or pieces of another fish, which was judged to be of a Mackerel. And that small one (‘tis like) was kept either for its preservation, or for food to the greater; but, being alive, it seems most likely it was there lodged for safety, except it were accidentally drawn within the net, together with that piece of fish, upon which it might be then feeding. “Té told me further, that every one of those smallest parts had motion when it was alive, anda tenacious strength ; but after it was dead, and extended to a flat round, it was so brittle that it could not be handled without breaking some parts of it; but by carefully laying of it to dry, it was thereby somewhat hardened. “ Te added, that he had taken one of this kind of fish the latter end of this Summer, but had left it with a friend at another port where he had been. Meantime he promised to procure it for me when he should sail thither again, if it were not broken or defaced. I hope I shall engage him for the future to take better notice of what may be remarkable about it. Upon occasion I have inquired of divers other Fishermen and Mariners, but can meet with none other that ever have taken any of these fishes. This Fisherman could not tell me of any name it hath, and ’tis in all likelihood yet nameless, being not commonly known as other Fish are. But, until a fitter Hnglish name be found for it, why may it not be called (in regard of what hath been before mentioned of it) a Bushket-Fish, or a Net-Fish, or a Purs-net-Lish ?” 190 ASTROPHYTON LINCKII. LIST OF SPECIMENS. = Ceategue |vtet| Numer] ay. | omy | wens ois. | Nat Museum of Comparative Zoélogy. 446 2) | EuryalepBank-y 9) | iinet Prof. Agassiz. Alcoholic. 447 3 Eastport, Me. July, 1851. | Prof. Agassiz. a 448 1 WeElastpor tse Cosme aiennnnl | Nereeciuennr U.S. Treat. a 449 7 | Gulf of St. Lawrence. | ...... Capt. Atwood. w 450 7 Provincetown, Mass. | ...... Capt. Atwood. “ 451 4 EBuryale:Bankey > |) ae Rone lp Nee ee ee io 452 4 | Provincetown, Mass. 1852. Capt. Atwood. ce 453 Qe WaperCotln= We ull seecetuascaee ||| tence ee ae a 454 US a bctaicy co scree oo Cy omcaiie sll een oecrdwoede lls doe yo: ono ee oe ou8 oe 455 2 hCapesGodsh wag “MOLL ser Sikes ted ces aan eee Dried 456 ee Mccann, oo) Seo. one) Woeoy dar tose ill Go. Bode oan Gc oc YY 457 6 Capen Codie 7 8 alli nas rsrtovrs icine! al seeguesras mortar ante fe 458 1 Capel Codes fereieu-ient ie Prof. Agassiz. a 459 ci ES BG es Sno mo I ogoog eo || oo toto 6.0 on sd 438 * .. | Swampscott, Mass. | ...... Essex Institute. Alcoholic. 439 ae go | Cae Cod 8 = || banoce Aquirial Gardens. oe 440 a0 ovo | BESO WG | Goaccn Mr. Beale. Kc Astrophyton Linckii Mii. & Trosca. Asterias caput-meduse ? Linn. Fauna Suecica. 1761. No. 2115. Astrophyton Linckii MULL. & Troscu. Syst. Asterid., p, 122. The citations of Martens, Linck, and Knorr, as synonymes of this species, are all mistakes on the part of Muller and Troschel. It is impossible to say whether the Asterias caput-meduse of Linnzeus is this species or A. Lamarckii. LIST OF SPECIMENS. Catalogue | Original | Number P When 4 : Nature of Number. | Number.) of Spec. Locality. | Collected. | Whence obtained. Specimen. Museum of Comparative Zoology. 473 1 North Europes) amen |e nemcn-msirens Prof. Sars, 1852. Dried. 474. 1 WON Wu — || ao ocad G. A. Cheney. Alcoholic. ASTROPHYTON CLAVATUM. 191 Astrophyton clavatum Lyrmay. Proceed. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., VIII. p. 85. 1861. Special Marks. — Radial ribs closely beset with minute, thorny stumps or spines. Description of a Specimen. — Diameter of disk, 30" ; width of arm at first fork, 12"; length of arm, 231"™. First joint (within the disk) to second, . . . . . 8™™ Second Us CCM hinders sty sh tet oy) aboiae® Third ts G our oo 5 © 0 o © Fourth i As TTR go Gs tel ou cor enh Filth 03 CORP Cixi wey ts, bream pe dase Sixth 5 ; GB wyenilt o oo o o dil & Seventh & S @elen o «7 0 0 9 wo Eighth “ “ ninth, ED te PU nome, LOS Ninth ce G& famtys 6 0 0 0 o Ie Tenth (S “ eleventh, OME Eleventh w “ twelfth, il & Twelfth as “ thirteenth, al Thirteenth ce “ fourteenth, ial & Fourteenth o “fifteenth, Y & Fifteenth Ke “ sixteenth, G) & Sixteenth ae “ seventeenth, @) & Seventeenth ff “ eighteenth,. ... 9 Eighteenth ss “ nineteenth, co} Nineteenth, ce “ twentieth, . fa}, Twentieth 0 “ twenty-first, 8 Twenty-first cs “ twenty-second,. . . G.& Twenty-second “ “ twenty-third, g) Twenty-third “ twenty-fourth, 5 Twenty-fourth “ “twenty-fifth, 8a Twenty-fifth « “ twenty-sixth, by Twenty-sixth “ “ twenty-seventh, ay Twenty-seventh * “ twenty-eighth, . 6) & Twenty-eighth “ & onl, Olmes ANE ene, 6 6 6 6 oo Zee Tooth-papille and teeth about thirteen, regular, cylindrical, tapering, sharp, the upper ones largest, the longest 1.5". Mouth-papille about four on each side, very small, somewhat irregular. Madreporic shield lying at the corner of the interbrachial space, broader than long, plainly made up of irregular, short, thickened tubes, soldered side by side. The space occupied by the tentacle-pores and the covered under arm- plates is sunken, forming a shallow trench, the joints being indicated by obscure cross lines. Beyond the disk the joints are marked by depressions between them, their outer and inner ends are thickened on the sides, making a series of very distinct double ridges along the sides of the arm. The under side of the arm, within and near the disk, is 192 ASTROPHYTON COSTOSUM. covered by a close pavement of flattened grains; it is very distinct from the sides and upper surface, which are beset with fine rounded grains, and are separated from the lower surface by a sunken line. Along the upper surface of the arm runs a distinct median furrow. Radial ribs running quite to the centre of the disk, prominent, their outer ends cut abruptly off, making a concave scar; length to breadth, 17:4; they are closely beset with microscopic, thorny stumps or grains, some of which end in three or four distinct thorns. The same thorny grains are found, but smaller and more scattered, on the interbrachial spaces below, and a few also on the depressed parts of the upper sur- face of the disk. At the tips of the arms and on the smaller twigs there are, as usual, double vertical rows of grains, bearing hooks. Tentacle-scales one or two, small, and difficult to see, extending inward as far only as the fourth fork of the arm. Color, in alcohol: above, dark purplish-brown, varied with black ; below, interbrachial spaces the same ; under surface of arms much lighter. LIST OF SPECIMENS. Catalogue | Original | Number a When ne Nature of Number. |Number.| of Spee. Locality. Collected. | Mittence[obEined. Specimen. Museum of Comparative Zodlogy. M03 Woeo || wo | Zanzibar | yeleesnsie | G. A. Cheney. Alcoholic. | | Astrophyton costosum Scena. Astrophyton costosum SeBa (non Linck). III. Pl. EX. Fig. 1, p. 16. 1758. Euryale muricatum LAMK. An. s. Verteb., II. p. 538. 1816. Astrophyton muricatum AGAss. Mém. de la Soe. des Sciences Nat. Neuchatel, p. 12. 1839. Astrophyton muricatum Mtuu. & Troscu. Syst. Asteriden, p. 122. Astrophyton muricatum LUTKEN. Addit. ad Hist. Oph., p. 156. Special Marks. — Disk purplish brown. Radial ribs sharply and much raised, bearing a few large fleshy spines, whose sides are often fluted. Description of a Specimen.— Diameter of disk, 58"; from outer side of madreporic shield to outer corner of opposite mouth-slit, 28™™ ; width of arm at base, 24°". Length of arm and distances of its forks from cach other, — ASTROPIYTON COSTOSUM. 193 First fork to second, fe} ae Second Sires third, 11 “ Third ob fourth, 14 “& Fourth Yb! Mh fifth, Tames Fifth @ sixth, 14 « Sixth is & seventh, 16 “ Seventh CS Pa eighth, (s & Eighth Od ninth, . 16 “ Ninth 0b tenth, . TiGiacs Tenth Gig eleventh, . 19 « Eleventh et twelfth, 18 “ Twelfth (Bi fo thirteenth, 19 Thirteenth oe fourteenth, 20 Fourteenth Ge fifteenth, . ily © Fifteenth oO} sixteenth, Wp Sixteenth G3 seventeenth, . Ife) © Seventeenth GG eighteenth, 21 % Eighteenth Ce nineteenth, 18 * Nineteenth a twentieth, ifs} Twentieth CoS twenty-first, . Igy & Twenty-first wn twenty-second, . ile Twenty-second ae twenty-third, 15 “ Twenty-third og twenty-fourth, 1G) Twenty-fourth “© twenty-fifth, . 1S) Twenty-fifth oe twenty-sixth, 20) “ Twenty-sixth Go twenty-sevent'). ils} Twenty-seventh “ twenty-eighth, 12 Twenty-eighth Wt twenty-ninth, 2) Twenty-ninth ub thirtieth, 1] Thirtieth Soares thirty-first, TONS Thirty-first OG thirty-second, Sie Thirty-second, 6 & end, We Total length, 489mm. Distance from outer side of madreporie shield to inner points of teeth, to that between outer corners of mouth-slits, 19:9. Teeth, tooth- papille, and mouth-papille sharp, conical, of different sizes; about eight, which occupy the place of teeth, are the largest, and attain the length of 2.8°"; those which represent the inner mouth-papille are smallest ; the outer mouth-papille extend quite to the outer corner of the mouth-slit. Madreporie shield irregular oval, broader than long, rather indistinct ; placed at the inner angle of the interbrachial space. Arms covered above, below, and on the sides by a close, fine, smooth coat of microscopic grains. Below and on the sides the joints are plainly indicated by cross lines. On the upper side runs a distinct, longitudinal, sunken line ; here also are scattered round spots, which, under the microscope, appear a little raised, and are made up of con- centric rings of oblong grains. On the tip branches most of the grains are brought together to form a double vertical row of grains, which 25 194 ASTROPHYTON COSTOSUM. bear the arm-spines, in the form of single microscopic hooks. These hooks seem only to be found on the fine twigs. Disk, above and below, covered with the same granular coat as the arms; above, also, are found the round spots in the interbrachial spaces. Radial ribs very large and prominent, ending without im a smooth, concave cicatrix ; on their upper surface are numerous irregular spines, about 1.5"” long, with deeply striated or fluted sides. Interbrachial spaces below very small, in consequence of the great breadth of the arms. Genital slits small, without margin of grams; length, 4.5"". Tentacle-scales very fine, slender, spiniform ; they are not found at all within the ninth fork of the arm on its main trunk; beyond this point there are one, two, three, and even four to each pore, the number being greatest on the smaller side branches; on the fine twigs, however, the number de- creases, and the finest have them replaced by a single hook. Color, in alcohol: above, a fine purplish umber, with fine, indistinct spots of lighter ; below, pale umber. Variations. — Instead of being uniform, the upper surface is often spotted with darker. The teeth in younger specimens are often com- paratively shorter and blunter, and the spines on the radial ribs are smooth, and not so numerous as in the adult. The young of this spe- cies have, on the basal part of the arm, a few short spmes or large grains. The radial ribs are low and faintly marked, and bear at their outer end a large spine, like a horn; besides these there are only one or two small spines on the disk ; the first fork of the arms is not at the margin of the disk, but a little way from it; on the under side of the arms the tentacle-scales, two in number, extend inward as far as the first fork. A small specimen had a disk of 10", and twelve forks to the arms, as follows : — Disk to first fork, Ses a OR First fork to second; “= a a a Aime Second ob iinegl, @ 6 56 6 o o @O Third eG owe 6 o o o o Gy) © Fourth i ule oe lo 6 a oo) Chay Fifth 8 SERUM) 1 euromersy. co, ot AeA Sixth i yam 5 6 so s -¢ GO & Seventh oe © Gia 6 a o o o 2h) 4 Eighth coma’ Mg o Gio eo o Shy & Ninth Ga tenths):, “ssury eae eso Tenth G & GEyvGnij se co 6 o o 2h Eleventh Gow Telit 50 6 o 6 dy Twelfth a CCK inheen Doe al tek gama las 60.0™ Astrophyton costosum has been found in the West Indies (Orsted, Riise, Suenson, Benzon), on the coast of Florida, at the Tortugas Isl- ASTROPHYTON COSTOSUM. 195 ands, and at Charleston, 8. C. It is fond of twining round Gorgonia, in which situation I have taken it on the mud flats of Key West, just below low-water-mark. When taken out of the water, it rolls up its many branches compactly. Its color, when alive, is similar to that of the alcoholic specimen, but is more brilliant, and the color of the back is more decidedly purplish. It is very readily distinguished by the high radial ribs and their coarse spines, the long, evenly branching arms, the absence of tentacle- scales within the margin of the disk, the position of the madreporic shield at the inner angle of the lower interbrachial space. The original “Astrophyton costosum, costis conicis,” &e., of Linck, is not to be recognized as any species now known. Lamarck identified it with A. arborescens, the Mediterranean species, and was followed in the mistake by Agassiz. J. Miiller considered it the same as his A. muri- catum, and was equally wrong. Seba gives an excellent plate of the present species, and calls it Astrophyton costosum, which name I have kept, because it can be identified with certainty, and because it is strictly bimomial. In the Jardin des Plantes is the original of Huryale costosum of La- marck (not Seba), brought by Maugé, in 1799, from the Antilles. There is a second specimen brought from Guadeloupe, in 1837, by Beauper- tuis. What is most extraordinary, is, first, that this is neither the true A. costosum (Euryale muricatum Lamk.), nor A. cacilia, nor A. Krebsii, the only species of the Antilles which the careful research of Dr. Liitken has brought to light ; and, secondly, that this particular species bears so close a resemblance to A. arborescens as readily to pass for it. If it should really turn out to be a distinct species, it must receive a new name, as that of costosum is already taken. LIST OF SPECIMENS. Catalogue | Original | Number é When = Nature of Number. | Number.) of Spec. Locality. Collected. Wibencetobtained- Specimen. Musewmn of Comparative Zodlogy. 464 1 Blorida.yy . een [Per Mercy. Prof. Agassiz. Alcoholic. 465 1 Tortugas, Fla. Apr. 2, 1857. | Capt. Woodbury. aH 466 1 Tortugas, Fla. Mar.23,1857.| J. E. Mills. a 467 2 Chemleswo, $5 Wo - |) Sscacn Prof. Agassiz. us 468 il Elliotts: Mey, Blas |) 5. 2 Lieut. T. A. Crane. | Dried. 469 4 EOriciat age gle Sree Mitre. aes Prof. Agassiz. ie 470 1 Ihde, ce ate. | obs a okongioamo~o Alcoholic. 471 2 ING” NVR IMS | on 6 eo T. Lyman & C.Curtis. te 442 [Balvandas aes seen Wee Paste ret Mr. Sargent. ts 443 ey WNWesp Ns = I Goo ao | Dr. Holder. ss Smithsonian Institution. 1065 3 Garden Key, Tortugas.| ...... | Capt. H. G. Wright. | Alcoholic. 1066 2 | Garden Key, Tortugas.| ...... hea ihe Renee Po a DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATES. All the figures give a dorsal view, and are taken from the colored drawings in the collection of Professor AGAssIz, made from living specimens by J. Burkuarpr and A. GARRETT. PLATE I. Figs. 1, 2. _Hemipholis cordifera Lyman, ad 3. Hemipholis cordifera Lyman, 5. Ophiopholis bellis Lyman, « 6. Ophiopholis bellis Lyman, 7. Ophiura Holmesii Lyman, Nk ba tuk No eto . . e PACERS Tale Figs. 1, 2. Ophiothrix angulata Ayres, about 7. Ophiothrix angulata Ayres, 3. Ophiolepis Garretti Lyman, ?. Ophiolepis elegans Liitken, 3. Ophiomyxa flaccida Liitken, 3. Gp Sa b> $9 INDEX OF GENERA AND SPECIES. Amphiura, atra, abyssicola, Balti, Chiajii, chilensis, cordifera, elongata, florifera, filiformis, « geminata, gracillima, Goodsiri, ‘ hispida, Holbolli, ‘limbata, marginata, microdiscus, neapolitana, Orstedii, * occidentalis, \ pugetana, perplexa, punctata, puntarene, Riisei, scabriuscula, septa, Stimpsonii, squamata, tenera, x tenuis, urtica, violacea, ~ Wurdemani, Ander Sternfisch, Asterias aculeata, brachiata, caput-medusee, cordifera, Siliformis, “fragilis, nigra, a) [Synonymes are in Italics. ] PAGE 115 1?, 115, 127 12 12 12, 115, 119 12 12, 137 137 12 12, 115, 116 12, 115, 120 12, 115, 116 12 133 12, 115, 118 12 12 12 TOA ABI 12 12, 115, 130 12, 15, 115, 125 12 12 12) WP} 12, 135 12 12 12, 14, 115, 121 12, 115, 123 121 12, 115, 128 12 12, 132 14 96 12 181, 190 13, 137 12, 116, 119 154 11, 81 Asterias oligactes, selosa, squamata, Asterochema oligactes, Asteromyx Loveni, Asteroporpa affinis, annulata, dasycladia, Astrophyton, Agassizii, arborescens, asperum, Caryi, chilense, clavatum, ‘Cacilia, costosum, costosum, costosum costis conicis, eucnemis, exiguum, Krebsii, Lamarckii, Linckii, muricatum, scutatum scuto striato, scutatum scuto rotato, verrucosum, Basket Fish, Erste Sternfisch, Euryale asperum, costosum, exiguum, muricatum, palmiferum, scutatum, verrucosum, Hemipholis, cordifera, PAGE 14 11, 95 12, 121 14 13 14 14 14 180 14, 15, 180, 186 14, 180, 181 14 14, 180, 184 14 14, 180 14 181 14, 180, 192 14, 195 14, 15, 180, 181 14 14 14, 180, 181 14, 180, 190 192 14 14, 186 14 186 14 14 181, 195 14 192 14. 181 14 137 13, 137, 196 198 Hemipholis (continued) elongata, Ophiacantha gronlandica, “ seabra, setosa, < spinulosa, Ophiactis, arenosa, » asperula, Ballii, Kroyeri, Krebsii, Miilleri, Orstedii, Reinhardtii, simplex, virens, virescens, Ophianoplus annulosus, marmoreus, Ophiarachna, gorgonia, incrassata, ‘ infernalis, septemspinosa, vestita, Ophiarthrum, elegans, Ophioblenna antillensis, Ophioceramis, Januarii, Ophiocnemis, marmorata, Ophiocnida, abyssicola, Ball, brachiata, hispida, neapolitana, scabriuscula, Ophiocoma, zthiops, Alexandri, ~ arctica, Ballii, bellis, bidentata, ' brevipes, crassispina, dentata, echinata, echinulata, erinaceus, Goodsiri, INDEX OF GENERA AND 137 93 11 11, 93, 95 11, 14, 93 105 12, 105, 107 12 12 12, 105, 108 12, 105, 111 12, 105, 109 12, 105, 107 12 12, 105 12 12, 105, 113 13 151 25, 39 11, 39 11 11 11 11 92 11, 92 oa a CT ed H mH eo om Ot) wo we (5 bo 12, 133 12, 133, 137 12, 133, 135 70 11, 71, 78 11, 71, 74 93 12 96 Ophiocoma (continued) granulata, insularia, lineolata, molaris, neglecta, nigra, Nilssonii, pica, picta, placentigera, pumila, punctata, Riisei, rosula, sannio, Scheenleinii, scolopendrina serpentaria, squamata, tartarea, tumida, variabilis, Valenciz, Wendatii, Ophiocten, abyssicola, Kroyeri, Ophioderma, antillarum, brevicauda, cinereum, Elaps, guttata, Januari, longicauda, olivaceum, panamensis, rubicunda, serpens, squamosissima, variegata, variegatum, virescens, Wahlbergii, Ophioglypha, aflinis, albida, carnea, lacertosa, Liitkenii, «nodosa, ~robusta, Sarsii, Stuwitzii, Ophiolepis, annulata, SPECIES. 81 11, 71, 89 90, 91 87 121 11, 71, 81 11, 70 11, 71, 90 11 71 iil, Fil 12 lily Til, 7 154 90, 91 11, 70 11, 70, 71, 87 81 11 85 11, 70 70 11, 71 11, 70 53 10 10, 53 16 27 10, 16 10, 27 10 10 10, 25 26 10, 23 10, 32 10, 30 18 10 10 21 34 10 40 10, 40, 52 10, 40, 49 10 10, 40 10, 40, 47 10, 14, 40, 49 10, 14, 40, 45 10, 14, 40 10, 40, 51 55, 62, 64 13, 143 INDEX OF GENERA AND SPECIES. 199 Ophiopholis (continued) Ophiolepis (continued) annulosa, 10, 55, 58 aculeata, 96 asperula, 12 bellis, 11, 14, 96, 196 ta « S ‘ a 5 a = —— A nr A a A A A A a f\ A A A A A ry A AAA AAR AA A A A A A A , A AA A | AAAAAAANANAAL A A @ SE CECE NAI\-AAARAIAAA. | AAAI A e ‘ Cane KK @ fi a RR AAA AIA ALS AA TAA jC Ke OEE CE KK CORE ML EO LO AROEREE. « ES C E aad Ee KL es ae, ERS AY As AR COKER EE a. SG Gee Cou I wy ni fn D> >. om. Arr AA Ah: Ay ANA, AANA AP PAANARalaAlalaly’ AAAARA AIA \A\AleN AV AY WAY RAAGAT AAAAAAARAASY, AW AA > > Ds: >» > >») » » > > >> > ees >. >> ‘y 323, DSP DD Le?» MANA A, Nan Ann, RR Date Due i A A a im AIA a TAA AR | Vai D> D ) >> a > D2 A AAAnaA \ ARAAAANAAN og AAR: ARAARAREAA RA anna WAV Mt aft As i wit ArNM unt AN DD 2 => > yD. » > Dy) > >> > Dd) >» DD) OD D> > yD >> >= oe ) ) > D> 22 > > SS SS Se B > >>; D> > <== => >> eee >> — > < < Ds >> p= D 2 D> Od D> > py») yp»: ey 4 y sp) > DP ~: DDS SS a IP D> Dp} > Up») D> eee 2