4G8 s. r;o'r(^ : 



Oreastcv iioffostis (Linné). 



(l'I. XIV, fij^'s. 221-227.) 



In adoptiug tins iianu; for this species I :ira simply following the au- 

 tliority of 33eia ['84, " Syst. uat. ed. XH. p. 1100 (pars) "]. As certain 

 confusing diflicnlties will attend the tracing of this name tlu"ongh the litera- 

 tm-e I Avill mention them at Um outset. There are two species that have 

 ])eeu described l)y Gray midor tlie name of Pentaceros nodosiis, and Bell 

 in his valuable x^aper on the genus Oreaster ['84, p. 62] gives clouei Perriek, 

 franMini Gr.\y, mammosus Perriek and turritus M.T. as synon^^ms of nodcsus. 

 Now from what he says under 0. (jrayi further on ['84, j)- 83] I infer that 

 lie uses nodosus in the LinnaBau sense not in Gray's. In his xmper of 1840 

 Gray mentions only one species of Pentaceros nodosa, which he describes as 

 follows ['40, ]). 277]: ''Ästerias nodosa, Gmelin (part), Seba, iii. t. 8. f. 11, 

 12. (t. 5. f . 11, 12. withoTit spines on the margin ?). Arms with a double 

 series of hemispherical tubercles ; back rather depressed ; marginal ossicula 

 unequal, lower one M'ith small lilunt conical spines. Inhab, Isle of France. 

 W. E. Leach, M.D." It is placed in the group with the " back formed of 

 irregular flat- topped ossicula, placed in rows so as to appear nearly tessel- 

 lated ; arms elongated, rather narrow." In his paper of 18G6, however. Gray 

 mentions two species, apparently distinct, under the same name of Pentaceros 

 nodosus on the same page \^QQ, p. 6], one of which is the species described 

 in the earher paper and appears as No. 11 ; but the other is ])laced in the 

 group with the " back formed of irr<^gular (üongated ossicula, apparently 

 vtiticulated ; the spines Avith elongated l)ases, interspaces closely ]^unctured." 

 The description is very brief and runs as follows [Gray, '(j(}>, j). (!] : 



" 5. Pentaceros nodosus. Arms rather narrow, iiearl}- as long as the width 

 of the bod}', with a single series of l)lunt tubercles ; back rather depressed, with 

 a large tubercle on each angle of the centre. Gray, Ann. N. H. 1.840, p. 

 27G ; LiNCK, t. 26. f. 41. y ist. nodose d, Lamarck ; Müll. Sc Tiîosch. Ast. 

 48. Inhab. Iski of Prance, Dr. W. Yj. Leach. 



"In Lixck's figm-e the spines arv^ rather larger than in our specimens 

 of nearly the same si/e." 



