626 s. GOTO : 



den nlteu Exemplaren von G. carinifcra jemals vorkommt, wenigstens nicht 

 bei den zahlreichen, von mir hier gesehenen Exemplaren." 



It may be remarked that the colour differences are frequently of no 

 specific importance in i\m starfish. We may recall in this connection the 

 cases of Asterina jpect'mifera and Asterias rollcstoni. 



This species was also represented in the Challenger collection and is 

 refen-ed to as follows [Sladen, '89, p. 357], figures of a 3'ouug specimen 

 being given : 



" Localitij. — Off Kaudavu, Fiji Islands. Ou the Keefs. 



" Remarks. — Two adult examples (presenting the well-known characters 

 of this form), and one young one, were collected by the Challenger at the 

 above-named locality. I have given di-awings of the young specimen (see 

 PI. LII. figs. 5-8), in order to show tlie presence of spinelets on the 

 infero-marginal plates, and their absence along the median line of the ray : 

 a state of things exactly the reverse of what occurs in the adult condition. 

 This circumstance leads me to believe that the form described by voN 

 Martens as specifically distinct under the name of Gijmnasteria hiserrata, 

 is only the young stage of GijmncLsterla vaiinifera, or at most only 

 a \ariety in which the juvenile characters are maintained tln'oughout 

 life. 



" Valuable observations on the growth stages of this species, as present- 

 ed by a series of examples from Mamitius, have been made by de Loriol, 

 who has also given figures, with which it will be interesting to compare 

 those on PI. LII. of the young example from Kaudavu. 



" It may be remarked that some variation occm-s in the spinulation of 

 the infero-marginal plates of adult specimens from different localities. 

 Normall}^ in fully grown examples these plates bear no trace of spines, but 

 in large specimens from the Red Sea (which are amongst Müller and 

 Troschel's types in the Berlin Collection), traces of a few incipient spines 

 are present on the outer part of the ray. Also in examples from Mozam- 

 bique and from Timor the occasional spinulation of the infero-marginal 

 plates is more pronounced. I do not, however, look upon these as any- 

 thing more than local, and perhaps even individual variations." 



