32 STYLASTERID^. 



the reefs, though ratlier rare. Dead specmiens were found off Double- 

 Headed Shot Key (Elbow Key) in 315 fathoms, with the preceding 

 species. The association of three allied shoal-water forms transported 

 to this deep-water locality is rather singular. 



Family STYLASTERID^ Gray. 



Stylasteracece M.-En\v. & II. (pars). 



This family was first established by Gray (Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., 

 Vol. XIX., 1847), for the genus Sti/laster alone. M.-Edwards and Haime 

 made of it a group or subfamily [agele), and placed it among the Ocu- 

 linidge under the name of Stylasteracea3. They have, however, left 

 out the genus Errina Gray altogether, placed Didicliopora among the 

 genera of doubtful position, but included Axohelia, which is a Madracis. 

 Otherwise the limits of the group are the same which we shall use. 



Professor Verrill first recognized the close affinity of Distichopora, 

 Errina, and Stylaster (Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., No. 3, 1864). In his 

 "Notes on Radiata" (Trans. Conn. Acad., Vol. I, 1870) he adopted a 

 suggestion of mine to make a distinct family of the StylasteridaB, 

 which he places in his suborder of Oculinacea, both of us overlooking 

 the fact that Gray had long before already established it. 



The association of the Stvlasteridae with the Oculinidge does not 

 appear natural, and a closer examination of the structure seems to 

 warrant their removal from that vicinity. The crenenchyma is found, 

 on close examination, to be abundantly perforated ; this can be seen 

 more distinctly in Allopora miniata (and best in dead and bleached speci- 

 mens) than any other form that I have examined, but after proper 

 preparation there is no difficulty in recognizing that structure in 

 all the genera. The best way is to prepare a section and brush it 

 over with ink or some other colored liquid, which will fill the fine 

 canals and show them to pervade the whole ca^nenchyma, anastomos- 

 ing among themselves and communicating with the surface and with 

 the interior of the calicles. 



According to this character we should be warranted in placing the 

 Stylasterida3 among the Perforata, were we to follow M.-Edwards 

 and Haime's system implicitly ; but this section contains so heteroge- 

 neous an assemblage of families, that it will most certainly have to be 

 dismembered. In another place in this paper reasons will be given 

 for separating the Eupsannnida3 from the Madreporidie, with which 

 they have been closely connected. It would l)e perhaps imprudent, 

 without further research, to associate the St>lasteridte Avith the 



