The Ecliinoderm Fauna of South Africa. 371 



STEREOCIDARIS CAPENSIS. 



Stereocidaris indica var. capensis Doderlein, 1901. Zool. Anz., vol.23, p. 19. 

 Stereocidaris capensis Doderlein, 1906. VALDIVIA Ech., p. 110; pi. X, 



figs. 3-6. 



This specimen, 62 mm. in diameter and 50 mm. high, with pri- 

 mary spines 75 mm. long, ami only \ mm. in diameter, does not 

 answer to the description of any known species, but 1 have no doubt 

 that both it, and the two specimens of Cidaris reported by Bell 

 (1904, Mar. Inv. South Africa, vol. 3, p. 168) are to be referred to 

 the same species as the specimens taken by the VALDIVIA on Agulhas 

 Bank. None of the VALDIVIA specimens was nearly so large as the 

 present individual, which is also peculiar in the relatively large 

 peristome, 28 mm. across. I am more and more inclined to think 

 that capensis and indica are identical and possibly one or more of 

 the Japanese species of this perplexing genus, is also to be refenvd 

 to indica. But more abundant material must be available before the 

 matter can be decided. The present specimen has the abactinal 

 system 31 mm. across and the ambulacra are, in width, '23 of the 

 interambulacra. There are, in each column, 7 or 8 coronal plates, 

 6 or 7 of which bore primary spines. 



P.F. 14259. Cape St. Francis, N.E. by E., 32 miles. 74 fms. R. 

 1 specimen; adult. 



ASPIDODIADEMATIDAE. 



This small family of cosmopolitan, but abyssal, distribution was 

 not previously known from South Africa or from any of the neigh- 

 boring deeps. It is a matter of great interest therefore to find it in 

 the PIETER FAURE collection, where it is represented by the following- 

 species. 



ASPIDODIADEMA NICOBARICUM. 



Doderlein, 1906. VALDIVIA Ech., p. 163; pi. XX, figs. i-ib. 



The specimens at hand are 11-17 mm. in horizontal diameter, and 

 are therefore scarcely half as large as the original VALDIVIA specimens. 

 They resemble closely specimens in the M. C. /. collection from tin- 

 Hawaiian Islands. The primary spines are only faintly purplish but 

 the test, especially actinally, i* quite purple. The slender tridentate 

 pedicellariae of the abactinal region are very conspicuous with straight. 

 narrow valves about 2 mm. long. The species was formerly known 



