REPORT ON THE ASTEROIDEA. 555 



Echinaster crassispinus, Liitkeu, 1871, Videnskab. Medd. naturh. Foren. i Kjabenhavn, p. 61. 

 Echinaster echinophorus, Perrier, 1875, Revis. Stell. Mus., p. 100 (Archives de Zool. exp^r., t. iv. 

 p. 364). 



Locality. — Bahia. Depth 7 to 20 fathoms. 



2. Echinaster eridanella, Miiller and Troschel. 



Eohinaster eridanella (Valenciennes, M. S.), Miiller and Troschel, 1842, System der Asterideu, p. 42. 

 EcMnaster aflinis, Perrier, 18G9, Ann. Sci. Nat., 5e Serie, t. xii. p. 250. 



Locality. — Admiralty Islands. Depth 1 (J to 25 fathoms. 



3. Echinaster spinulifer, Smith. 



Othilia spinulifera, Smith, 1876, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 4, vol. xvii. p. 107. 



Echinaster spinulifer, Smith, 1879, Phil. Trans., Zool. Kerguelen Island, vol. clxviii. p. 274, pi. xvi. fig. 4. 



Localities. — Station 149d. Royal Sound, Kerguelen Island. January 20, 1874. 

 Lat. 49° 28' 0" S., long. 70° 13' 0" E. Depth 28 fathoms. Volcanic mud. Surface 

 temperature 41 o- Fahr. 



Station 149h. Off Cumberland Bay, Kerguelen Island. January 29, 1874. Lat. 

 48° 45' 0" S., long. 69° 14' 0" E. Depth 127 fathoms. Volcanic mud. Surface tem- 

 perature 39° - 8 Fahr. 



Family Heliasterid^e, Viguier, 1878. 



This family possesses a comparatively limited area of distribution, and appears to be 

 confined to the western coast of South America ; the type genus being there represented by 

 a number of so-called species which exhibit a remarkable uniformity of facies. 



The family contains only the single genus Heliaster. 



Genus Heliaster, Gray. 

 Heliaster, Gray, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 1840, vol. vi. p. 179. 

 This genus, so far as at present known, is limited to the eastern side of the Pacific, 

 and extends along the coast of the American continent from California to Chili, inhabiting 

 shallow water. I greatly doubt whether all the so-called species which have been recog- 

 nised can be maintained when a sufficient series of examples can be studied side by side, 

 the differences by which they are separated being exceedingly slight. 



Cliorology of the Genus Heliaster. 

 a. Geographical distribution, : — 



Pacific : Five species between the parallels of 30° N. and 40° S. 



Heliaster cumingii, from Hood's Island and Chatham Island 

 (Galapagos Archipelago), and probably extending to Peru {fide 



