JAPANESE ASTEßOIDEA. 515 



spine. The number of pedicellariie wliicli develop varies considerably. In 

 some cases they are numerous on the reticulating bars of the dorsal ossicles 

 up to the base of the lophial spines ; in other cases they are rare even on 

 tlie superomarginals. 



" There is gTeat variation in the colour of this species when alive. 

 Most individuals are bright red or carmine except for the poriferous areas 

 which are brown or grey, but many examples were noticed of a bright 

 yellow or even orange colour. 



" Distributed from Mozambique and Zanzibar to Ceylon." 



It is also reported from Portuguese East Africa by SiMrsoN and Brown 

 [: 10, p. 51] : 



" Locality. — Station I. to X., bottom — sand, or sand and rocfe. 



" Previously recorded from — Mergui ; Tuticorin ; Ceylon ; Mozambique ; 

 and Zanzibar." 



In a foot-note Simpson says [: 10, p. 51], " These three well-known 

 species [P. lincld, superhus and (jraclUs] are extremely abundant over almost 

 the whole coast, and are a distinct menace to pearl-oyster beds. Dming the 

 period over which my work extended on the coast, more than five thousand 

 of these were brought up in the dredge, while on the shallow reefs thou- 

 sands may be seen daily at low tide. The colour patterns on all these 

 species, but esx3ecially on P. lincld, are worthy of attention. The general 

 tone is in most cases blue, but the following variations in the colour of the 

 spines were observed — (1) central spines orange, the others creamj^-wliite ; 

 (2) aU the spines vermilion red; (3) all the spines creamy wliite. Another 

 type had bright yellow as a ground-work, wliile the spines were orange- 

 coloured. 



" These few observations demonstrate the futility of basing any specific 

 character on colom*ation in brightly-colom'ed asteroids." 



Culcita. 



The following synoptical key to the species of this genus, 



