REPORT ON THE ASTEROIDEA. 451 



undoubted members of the genus at such widely separated localities, leads to the inference 

 that future dredgings in the Pacific and Southern Oceans are likely to increase our 

 knowledge greatly as to the distribution of the genus, as well as regarding the amount of 

 morphological plasticity of which it is capable. 



Chorology of the Genus Solaster 

 «. Geographical distribution : — 



Atlantic: Four species between the parallels of 40° and 81° N. 



Solaster abyssicola and Solaster earllii, off the coast of the 

 United States of America. "Solaster endeca, from the coasts of 

 Greenland, North America, Norway, and Britain, the Faeroe Islands, 

 Iceland, Spitzbergen, and extending to the Murman coast. It is 

 also represented by a variety [fide Brandt), Solaster endeca, var. 

 decemradiata, at Sitka. Solaster glacialis, between Norway and 

 Beeren Island. 



Southern Ocean : One species between the parallels of 45° and 55° S. 



'"Solaster subarcuatus, between Kerguelen and Heard Island. 



Pacific : Four species between the parallels of 60° N. and 60° S. 



Solaster endeca, var. decemradiata (Brandt), from Sitka. 

 '"Solaster paxillatus, off Japan. ^Solaster torulatus, from north 

 of the Kermadec Islands. ''''Solaster regularis, off the west coast of 

 Patagonia. 



/3. Bathy metrical range: Shallow water to 1537 fathoms. 



Greatest range of one species : Solaster abyssicola, 843 to 1537 fathoms. 

 Solaster torulatus also extends into the Abyssal zone. Solaster paxillatus 

 is confined to the Continental zone. 



y. Nature of the Sea-bottom : Solaster endeca occurs on Clay (fine or Blue), Stones 



or Sand. Solaster glacialis on Sandy clay. Solaster regularis on Blue mud. 



Solaster subarcuatus on Coarse gravel. Solaster torulatus on Volcanic mud. 



Solaster paxillatus on Green mud. 



Solaster gracilis, Grube, 1 the type of which I have examined in Breslau, is a small 



eight-rayed Luidia, too young for specific determination, and is not a Solaster at all. 



The species dredged by the Challenger are indicated in the foregoing list by an 

 asterisk. 



1 Jahres-Ber, Settles. Gesellsch f. vaterl. Cultur, 1864, p. 52. 



