94 ZOROASTERIDAE. 



The absence of any suboral spines distinguishes this species from any 

 hitherto described. The three oral spines are so perfectly graduated in size 

 and position, it would be quite unnatural to call the innermost a suboral, even 

 though its position is not strictly marginal. Other notable features of this form 

 are the greatly projecting paxillar spinelets, the few, slender, and widely spaced 

 actinolateral spines, and the very long and slender adambulacral spines. 



ZOROASTERIDAE. ^ 



The systematic position of this small but well-marked family has been 

 the som-ce of no Uttle difference of opinion, but few wiU now question the posi- 

 tion assigned it by Verrill and by Fisher in the Forcipulosa near the Asteriidae. 

 More than thirty species have been assigned to Zoroaster but the remaining 

 genera are either monotypic or contain only two or three species. As I have 

 had occasion to study critically the forms referred to Zoroaster, I give here a 

 list of such species, followed by artificial keys to the genera which it seems 

 desirable to recognize, and to the species which they contain, when not mono- 

 typic. 



List of the specific names used with Zoroaster. 



fulgens Wyville Thomson, 1873. Depths of the Sea, p. 154. Northwest of the Hebrides, 767 fms.- 



sigsbeei = Pekrier, 1880. Comp. Rend., 91, p. 436. Off St. Ivitts, B. W. I., 120-231 fms. 



ackleyi Perrier, 1880. Ibid. 



diomedeae Verrill, 1884. Amer. Journ. Sci., ser. 3, 28, p. 217. Off southern New England, 1,000-1,600 



fms. 

 longicaiida Perrier, 1885. Ann. Sci. Nat., ser. 6, 19, no. 8, p. 19. Eastern North Atlantic, 1,637-2,325 



fms. 

 tenuis Sladen, 1889. Challenger Ast., p. 421. North of New Guinea, 1,070 fms. 

 alfredi Alcock, 1893. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 6, 1, p. 102. Bay of Bengal, 1,300-1,380 fms. 

 baraihn Alcock, 1893. Ibid., p. 103. Bay of Bengal, 1,.520 fms. 

 plamis Alcock, 1893. Ibid., p. 104. Lacoadive Sea, 1,200 fms. 



angulatus Alcock, 1893. Ibid., p. 105. Gulf of Manaar, 597 fms. Laccadive Sea, 705 fms. 

 carinatus Alcock, 1893. Ibid., p. 107. Andaman Sea, 130-2.50 fms. 

 gilesii Alcock, 1893. Ibid., p. 108. Andaman Sea, 400-500 fms. 

 s^uamews Alcock, 1893. Ibid., p. 109. Laccadive Sea, 1,043 fms. 

 zea Alcock, 1893. Ibid., p. 110. Gulf of Manaar, .597 fms. Laccadive Sea, 1,200 fms. 

 trispinosus Koehler, 1895. Rev. Biol. Nord France, 7, no. 12, p. 6. Bay of Biscay, 360 fms. 

 ophiurus Fisher, 1905. Bull. U. S. Bur. Fish., 24, p. 315. Off San Diego, Gala., 1,059 fms. 



1 Since this report was prepared, Fisher has published two important papers bearing on the mor- 

 phology and taxonomy of tliis family: 1919, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 9, 3, p. 387-393; 1919, Bull. 100 

 U. S. N. M., p. 470-487. As our results have been reached quite independently and are ahnost invari- 

 ably in accord, I have let this account of the Zoroasteridae stand with very few changes. 



2 An unfortunate ty]50graphical error on p. 152 gives this locality as "2° 11' W. long." On p. 144 

 however, it is correctly given as "9° 11' W." 



^ The name is spelled ' ' Sigsbeci "in the original publication but this is, of course, a t3rpographical error. 



