REPORT ON THE ASTEROIDEA. 



351 



Chorological Synopsis of the Species. 



1. Pentaceropsis obtusatus, Bory de Saint Vincent, sp. 



Asterias obtusatus, Bory de Saint Vincent, 1827, Encycl. Mdthod., lOe livr. p. 140, pi. ciii. 



Oreaster obtusatus, Miiller and Troschel, 1842, System der Asteriden, p. 50. 



Pentaceros obtusatus, Perrier, 1876, Re>is. Stell. Mus., p. 249 (Archives de Zool. exper., t. v. p. 65). 



Locality. — Off Zebu, Philippine group. On the Reefs. Depth and conditions not 

 recorded. 



Genus Culcita, Agassiz. 

 Culcita, Agassiz, Mem. Soc. Sci. Nat. Neuchatel, 1835, t. i. p. 192. 



All the species in this genus present a remarkable similarity of facies ; and each is 

 subject to considerable variation. In some cases a greater superficial difference exists 

 between the growth stages of a species than between forms recognised as specifically 

 distinct. As a natural result the determination of a limited number of examples of any 

 of the forms is attended with considerable difficulty ; and much confusion exists in the 

 labelling of specimens preserved in different museums. 



Only one species of Culcita was collected during the Challenger Expedition, which I 

 have referred to the Culcita novse-guinese of Miiller and Troschel. 



Chorology of the Genus Culcita. 

 Geographical distribution : — 



Indian and Southern Oceans : Four species between the parallels of 30° N. and 

 40° S. 



Culcita coriacea, Culcita pentangular is, and Culcita schmide- 

 liana, off Mozambique ; Culcita coriacea being found also in the 

 Red Sea, and Culcita schmideliana at Zanzibar, Madagascar, and 

 Mauritius ; Culcita pentangularis and Culcita schmideliana extend 

 into the Eastern Archipelago and Pacific, although the occurrence 

 of Culcita schmideliana in the Pacific is perhaps doubtful. Culcita 

 veneris, from the Island of St. Paul. 

 Eastern Archipelago : Four species between the parallels of 10° N. and 20° S. 



Culcita novse-guinese., off the coast of New Guinea, extending 

 to New Hanover (fide Studer). Culcita pentangularis, from Torres 



