claek: the starfishes of the genus heliaster. 37 



1903. Delage, Yves et Herouard, Ed. 



Trail e de Zoologie Concrete. 9 vols. 3. Les Echinodermes. Paris. 



On p. 103 is this: 



7 Fam. : Heliasterinae [ Heliaster idae (Viguier); p. p. Forcipu/ata (Per- 

 rier)] — Heliaster (Gray). Bras 25 au moins. Helianthaster (Romer) 

 (Dev.). 



1906. Fisher, Walter K. 



The Starfishes of the Hawaiian Islands. Bull. U. S. Fish Commission 

 for 1903, part 3, p. 987-1130, plates 1-49. Washington. 



On p. 989, 994, and 998 are brief references to II. multiradiatus, and on 

 p. 1002 the family Heliasteridae is included in the Key. On p. 1104 

 H. multiradiatus is admitted to the Hawaiian fauna on the strength of 

 Sladen's statement, but serious doubt is expressed as to the validity of 

 the record. 



As a result of the examination of this literature, our present knowledge 

 of Heliaster may be briefly summarized as follows : Six species have 

 been described, of which one (ladriniji Xantus) is commonly considered 

 identical with another {multiradiatus Gray), while a third (canopus 

 Perrier) is regarded as possibly the young of a fourth (heliantlius Lam- 

 arck), and by some writers the remaining two are not considered as 

 really distinct. The geographical limits of the genus are fairly well 

 known, but there is still some question about the limits of the several 

 species. The external morphology, including the pedicellariae, is very 

 well known and the skeletal characters especially of the oral surface 

 have been well worked out. But the internal anatomy is practically un- 

 known, and almost nothing is recorded of the habits ; absolutely nothing 

 of the development. The amount of variability within a single species 

 is little understood and almost nothing is known of the formation of 

 the new rays in passing from the young stages with relatively few, to 

 the older condition with very numerous, rays. Finally the relationship 

 to other genera is most imperfectly understood, although there is general 

 agreement in placing the genus apart in a family by itself. 



Systematic. 



We naturally turn first of all to an investigation of the number and 

 validity of the species which Heliaster contains, and the material at 

 hand enables us to settle all of the disputed questions in regard to this 

 matter. In his admirable report on the Heliasters of the United States 



