REPOKT ON THE ASTKKOIDEA. 557 



either as to the position of Zoroaster in the Stichasterida? or of Pedicellaster in the 

 Brisingidag. The former seems to me to warrant classification in a distinct family, and 

 Pedicellaster, on the other hand, differs so widely in character and structural details from 

 Brisinga and its allies, that I cannot regard them as belonging to the same family. 

 Although I feel much uncertainty as to whether the characters of Pedicellaster are of 

 sufficient value to justify its recognition as the type of an independent family, the 

 structure of the skeleton, the character of the tegumentary appendages, and the character 

 of the water-vascular system present an assemblage of differences which, in my opinion, 

 require recognition ; and I therefore prefer, in the present state of knowledge of the 

 anatomy of these little known forms, to retain the family Pedicellasteridae, rather than 

 relegate Pedicellaster to a subdivision of one of the allied families. The family as now 

 recognised comprises the single genus Pedicellaster. 



Genus Pedicellaster, Sars. 



Pedicellaster, Sars, Oversigt af Norges Echinodermer, Christiania, 1861, p. 77. 



Since the discovery of this genus in the North Atlantic area a number of forms have 

 been referred to it, which indicate a wide range of distribution. Although I am inclined 

 to think that the whole of the species now ranked as Pedicellaster may not ultimately 

 be retained in the genus, the occurrence of representative forms in the higher latitudes of 

 the Northern and Southern hemispheres is fully established. As to the relations of the 

 intermediate and doubtful forms, I withhold for the present any expression of opinion, as 

 I have not had an opportunity of examining specimens. 



Chorology of the Genus Pedicellaster. 



a. Geographical distribution : — 



Atlantic : Seven species between the parallels of 82° N. and 60° S. 



Pedicellaster typicus, off the Norwegian and Murman coasts, 

 and off Nova Zembla, Jan Mayen, and Beeren Island. Pedicellaster 

 palseocrystallus, off Grinned Land at Discovery Bay and Cape Frazer. 

 Pedicellaster pourtalesi, off Grenada and St. Kitts. Pedicellaster 

 margaritaceus and Pedicellaster sexradiatus, dredged by the 

 " Travailleur," the former at Station 39, the latter at Stations 3 and 5. 

 Pedicellaster octoradiatus and Pedicellaster sarsii, off the Island of 

 South Georgia. 



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



* Pedicellaster scaber, off Kerguelen Island. * Pedicellaster 

 hypernotius, off Marion Island. 



