JAPANESE ASTEROIDEA. 229 



tlie stations where specimens were obtained are mentioned, and the distri- 

 bution is given as follows : " The Drontheim fjord. The coast of Finmark. 

 The Mnrman coast. The North American coast." 



Jaezynsky mentions this sx^ecies under the name of Astropeden aixticmn 

 [ '85, p. 170, fide Ludwig] ; while Veerill refers to it under the name of 

 Archasfer arcticns and adds [ '85, p. 542] : " B [athymetrical] range, 113 

 to 547 fathoms, 1883. Frequent, but only in small numbers." 



Sladen mentions this species under the name of Leptopty chaster arcticus 

 and sets up also a new variety as follows [ '89, p. 189] : 



" Localities. — ' Porcupine ' Expedition : 



" Station 65 (1869). Between the Shetland and the Faeroe Islands. 

 Lat. 61° 10' N., long. 2° 21' W. Depth 345 fathoms. Bottom temperature 

 — l°.l C. ; sm-face temperatm'e, ll°.l C. 



" Station 82 (1869). In the Faeroe Channel. Lat. 60^ 0' N., long. 5° 13' W. 

 Depth 312 fathoms. Bottom temperature 5°.2 C. ; surface temperatm-e 11°.2 C. 



" Station 3 (1870).'^ West of Ushant. Lat. 48° 31' N., long. 10° 3' W. 

 Depth 690 fathoms. 



" EenuirJtS. — Tliis form was originally described as an Asfropectcn. 

 Some subsequent writers have retained it in that genus, wliilst others have 

 regarded it as an Archaster. I am unable to agi'ee with either of these 

 determinations. After careful study I consider that its structm'e accords in 

 all points of generic import with the genus Leptopty chaster established I)y 

 Mr. Smith for the foregoing form'^ of the Southern Ocean, and I havo 

 therefore referred the species under notice to that genus. It is readily 

 characterised by the aborted supero-marginal plates, the short but broad 

 infero-marginals (both alike unarmed), the well-developed actinal interradial 

 areas, the character of the pasillse, and likewise that of the armatm-e of the 

 adambulacral plates. Fiua%, the species has more or less well-developed 

 superambulacra] plates ; the whole forming a combination of characters 

 wliich accords neither with Archaster nor Astropeden. 



1) " Recorded by Sir Wyville Thomson in the Depths of the Sea ; but I have not seen 

 a sijecimen from this locality." 



2) Leptychaster kerguelensis. 



