322 



THE VOYAGE OF EM.S. CHALLENGER 



y. Nature of the Sea-bottom : Stellaster incei was collected by the Challenger on Coral 

 mud, Green mud, and Blue mud, all in shallow depths (from 6 to 28 fathoms), 

 thus showing a considerable variation in habitat. A large series of specimens 

 of Stellaster incei in the British Museum, dredged by the "Alert," are from 

 depths varying from 4 to 36 fathoms, the nature of the bottom being recorded 

 as sand and mud. Stellaster princeps was collected on Coral mud. The 

 nature of the bottom is unknown to me in the case of the other species of this 

 genus. 



Cfwrological Synopsis of the Species. 



1. Stellaster incei, Gray. 



Stellaster incei, Gray, 1847, Proc. ZooL Soc. Lond., Part xv. p. 76. 



Stellaster belcheri, Gray, 1847, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., Part xv., p. 76. 



Stellaster gracilis, Mdbius, 1859, Neue Seesterne des Hamburger und Kieler Museums, p. 12, Taf. iv. 



figs. 3 and 4 (Abhandl. a. d. Gebiete Naturw. hrsg. v. d. naturwiss. Verein, Hamburg, Bd. iv. 



Abth. 2, 1860). 



Localities. — Station 186. In Torres Strait, off Cape York. September 8, 1874. 

 Lat. 10° 30' 0" S., long. 142° 18' 0" E Depth 8 fathoms. Coral mud. Surface tem- 

 perature 77° '2 Fahr. 



Station 187. Booby Island, Torres Strait. September 9, 1874. Lat. 10° 36' 0" S., 

 long. 141° 55' 0" E. Depth 6 fathoms. Coral mud. Surface temperature 77° '7 Fahr. 



Station 188. In the Arafura Sea, near the entrance to Torres Strait. September 10, 



1874. Lat. 9° 59' 0" S., long. 139° 42' 0" E. Depth 28 fathoms. Green mud. Surface 

 temperature 78°"5 Fahr. 



Station 208. Off the east point of Panay Island, Philippine group. January 17, 



1875. Lat. 11° 37' 0" N., long. 123° 31' 0" E. Depth 18 fathoms. Blue mud. Sur- 

 face temperature 81°'0 Fahr. 



A fine series of specimens of a species of Stellaster was obtained by the Challenger from 

 several localities in the Eastern Archipelago. The large specimens from Booby Island are 



