The Echinoderm Fauna of South Africa. 289 



the new species, but neglects to give a single character by which it 

 may be recognized. It is quite possible that it is the species descri- 

 bed beyond as E. reticulatus but, at present, there is no means of 

 knowing. The three members of the family represented in the col- 

 lection of the South African Museum may be distinguished from 

 each other as follows: 



Key to the So'uth African Species of Echinasteridae. 



Abactinal plates with numerous very small spinelets Henricia ornata. 



Abactinal plates with isolated spines or tubercles. 



Rays short, inflated, with very large papular areas . Poraniopsis capensis. 



Rays long, terete, with small papular areas Echinaster reticulatus.. 



HENRICIA ORNATA. 



Echinaster ( Cribella) ornatus Perrier, 1869. Ann. Sci. Nat., vol. 12, p. 251. 

 Henricia ornata Bell, 1905. Mar. Inv. South Africa, vol. 3, p. 250. 

 Doderlein, 1910, Jena. Denksch., vol. 16, p. 252; pi. 4, figs. 2-2a. 



In view of the extraordinary diversity which Henricia sanguinolenta 

 shows in nearly every character upon which species may be based, 

 it would be most unwise to attempt to differentiate the natural forms 

 of Henricia occurring in the southern temperate zone, without far 

 more material than is at present available. Bell was wise in referring 

 all his specimens to ornata and it would be foolish for me to do 

 otherwise with the few in the present collection. They agree with 

 each other well and there is no doubt they represent a single species. 

 It is not so sure whether they are really ornata or not, but there is 

 really little reason to doubt that, since the Cape of Good Hope is 

 the type-locality for that species. 



The individuals at hand are all well-grown, R = 34-44 mm. One 

 individual has six subequal rays which are relatively stouter and less 

 tapering than in the others. 



S.A.M. No. 3011. Cape Colony: False Bay. Littoral. Dr. Purcell. 

 5 specimens. 



PORANIOPSIS CAPENSIS *, sp. nov. 

 Plate XV. Figs. 3, 4. 



R = 27 mm.; r = 13-5: R = 2r. Disk large and inflated, Rays 

 short, wide and inflated, about 16 mm. long and 13 mm. wide at 

 base, triangular in outline. Abactinal skeleton rather weak, with 

 very large papular areas; on many of these areas are minute, scat- 



* Capensis of the Cape, in reference to the general locality whence the type 

 specimen came. 



