CLARK : THE ECHINODERMS OF PERU. \ 333 



Oreaster occidentalis. 



A. E. Verrill, 1867. Trans. Conn. Acad., 1, p. 278. 



Plate 4, flgure 1. 



This species is, like the preceding, a common Panamic form, ranging from the 

 Gulf of California southward. The diameter of a large specimen is about 300 

 mm. Preserved specimens are yellowish or brownish, but in life the dorsal plates 

 are said to be bright crimson, the spaces between greenish brown. Dr. Coker 

 did not meet with this species, nor has it yet been recorded from Peru, but Cuming 

 collected a young Oreaster at Punta Santa Elena, Ecuador, along with Nido- 

 rellia, and as it seems almost certain that Oreasters will be found on the northern 

 shores of Peru, I have included the Panamic species in this list. Verrill (1867) 

 has given reasons why Gray's Pentaceros cumingii, based on the specimen taken 

 by Cuming at St. Elena, cannot be identical with Oreaster occidentalis, but it 

 seems very probable that when our knowledge of the Ecuadorian Oreasters is 

 complete cumingii will prove to be the young of occidentalis. 



Paulia horrida. 



J. E. Gray, 1840. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 6, p. 278. 



Plate 3, flgure 3. 



The original specimens of this remarkable starfish were taken by Cuming at 

 Punta Santa Elena, Ecuador, in 12-18 fathoms, in company with Nidorellia and 

 Oreaster. Unlike these latter, however, it has seldom been met with since and 

 seems to be rather rare, the only specimens recorded since Cuming's day being 

 taken at the Galapagos Islands. Gray's type was about 150 mm. in diameter, 

 but the specimens from the Galapagos were smaller. The color of dried speci- 

 mens is yellowish brown, but in life it is probable the general coloration is red or 

 reddish as in Oreaster and Nidorellia. 



Asterina calcarata. 



Asteriscus calcaratus E. Perrier, 1869. Ann. Sci. Nat., (5) 12, p. 292. 

 Asterina calcarata E. Perrier, 1876. Arch. Zool. Exp., 5, p. 222. 



This species is very little known, the original one (30 mm. in diameter) from 

 Valparaiso remaining unique, so far, at least, as South American specimens are 

 concerned. Under the name calcaratus Valenciennes placed a number of Asteri- 

 nas from Chile, and Gay, in his account (1854) of the echinoderms of that coun- 

 trv, made no effort to differentiate them. Perrier, however, restricted the name 

 to this particular form, supposed to be from Valparaiso. Were it not that a 

 variety (selkirki Meissner, 1896) is common at Juan Fernandez, one might 

 be doubtful whether Perrier's specimen really came from Chile, especially as 

 de Rochebruue (18S1) records calcarata from the Cape Verde Islands. For the 



