DESCRIPTIONS OP THE SPECIES OP HELIASTER (A GENUS OP 

 STAR-FISHES) REPRESENTED IN THE U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



By RI€IIAIID KATllRLX. 



(With four iilati!S.) 



Gemis HELIASTER Gray. 



(Ann. and Mag. of Nat. Hist., vi, p. 179, 1840.) 



The section ReUaster, siuce recognized as a genus by most authors, 

 was established by Dr. Gray, in 1840, to include Asterias helianfJius 

 Lamk., from the western coast of South America, and two new and 

 closely allied species from the Galapagos Islands, Gumingii and multira- 

 diata, wliich are described in the same connection. In 1861, Mr. John 

 Xautus added two new forms from Cape St. Lucas, Lower California, 

 Kubingii and microbrachia, which have since been recorded from sev- 

 eral places on the western coast of Mexico, Professor Verrill, in his 

 Notes on Kadiates,* describes many specimens of the genus which have 

 come under his notice, but adds no new species. He refers to HeUaster 

 Cumin(/iij with a query, several specimens from Zorritos and Paita, 

 Peru, and remarks that Gray's multiradiata appears to be allied to 

 Kuhingii of Xantus. 



The types of the species described by Xautus are still preserved in 

 the Xational Museum. HeUaster microbrachia is represented by a single 

 type (2017); II. Kubingii by a large series (630). Many specimens of 

 both of these species, from Lower California and Western Mexico, have 

 since been added to the Museum collection, and specimens of II. keliari- 

 thus have also been received from South America. In 1881, Dr. W. H. 

 Jones, U. S. X., contributed several specimens of two species from the 

 Galapagos Islands, which the writer has been led to refer to the S])ecies 

 originally described by Dr. Gray from the same region, although the 

 latter's descriptions are exceedingly brief and unsatisfactory. How- 

 ever correct these identifications may be, it is certain that one of the 

 species, corresponding with H. multiradiata Gray, is the same as H. 

 Kubingii Xantus ; while the other, referred to H. Gumingii Gray, is 

 different from any of the species in our collection from the mainland of 

 Western America, although approaching somewhat in shape H. mi- 

 crobrachia Xautus. Unless the specimens from Peru, referred to Gum- 

 ingii by Professor Verrill, and which the writer has not seen, have been 

 correctly named, it would appear that the genus HeUaster is represented 

 at the Galapagos Islands by species more nearly related to those of 

 Southwestern Xorth America than to those of the nearest adjacent 

 mainland. 



* Trans. Conn. Acad, of Arts and Sciences, Vol. I, part 2, 1667-1871. 

 440 



