Farquhar. — Further Notes on Neiv Zealand Starfishes. 129 



number increases with age until 10 or 11 — usually 11 in Port Nicholson — 

 are developed. 



Species which divide, and those in which the number of arms increases 

 by budding from the disc, usually have more than 1 madreporic plate. 

 Stichaster insignis usually has 4-, but examples may be found with 1, 2, or 

 3 ; Stichaster polyplax has from 1 to -1 ; and Asterias calamaria often has 

 2 or 3. 



Asterias calamaria var.. reischeki, var. n. 



I described a variety of Asterias calamaria in vol. xxi, page 187, of the 

 Transactions, which occurs freely at Nelson, under stones at low water. 

 Its general facies differs much from that of the form which is common in 

 Port Nicholson. The arms are not stout and rounded at the tips like the 

 Wellington specimens and the Mauritius forms as figured by Loriol, but 

 are more delicate, and taper evenly to a very fine extremity ; and the spines 

 are never coarse or truncated, but always fine, long, single, and very finely 

 pointed. These differences are so definite and constant that I am now of 

 opinion that, if not a distinct species, it is at any rate a well-marked variety, 

 and worthy of a distinct name. I therefore dedicate this form to the late 

 Andreas Reischek, who has added largely to our knowledge of the habits 

 and characteristics of the New 'Zealand birds. It would have been more 

 appropriate had his name been associated with one of our native birds, 

 but, as their history, as regards the finding of new species, is probably closed, 

 this much more humble form may serve, in a measure, to commemorate 

 the man and his work. Reischek's natural-history work in New Zealand 

 extended over about twelve years (1877-89), and the records of his observa- 

 tions, which are published in vols, xiv, xvii, xviii, xix, xx, and xxi of the 

 Transactions, show that he was a keen and good obsei-ver. He also wrote 

 " The Story of a Wonderful Dog," an extremely interesting little book, 

 published at the Star Office, Auckland, 1889, in which he gives an account 

 of the training of his dog " Cyesar," and his experiences in the New Zealand 

 " bush." 



Stichaster polyplax, Mliller and Troschel. 



I stated in vol. xxvii, page 208, of the Transactions that probably sub- 

 division takes place in S. polyplax, as in S. insignis. The latter species, 

 which has six arms, three of which are usually smaller than the other three, 

 continually undergoes a process of transverse division, each half regenerating 

 the parts that are missing ; but I am now convinced that this does not 

 occur in S. pohjplax. The young examples of S. polyplax which I and my 

 son have collected in the neighbourhood of Wellington always have a few 

 — 1 to 4 — fully developed arms, and a numl)er of smaller ones usually of 

 different lengths, some just budding from the disc ; and hence it appears 

 probable that the same process occurs in the development of the arms as 

 in Asterias calamaria, with this difterenee : adult specimens of A. calamaria 

 have 10 or 1 1 arms, while those of S. polyplax have only 7 or 8. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE XIL 



Fig. I. Stegnaster inflntus : abactinal view ; reduced. 

 Fig. 2. ,, actinal view ; reduced. 



— Trans. 



