ASTEROIDEA OF NORTH P.\CIFIC .\ND ADJACENT WATERS FISHER. 



257 



less tonspkuous winces or membranous vanes above tlio webbinj;. Tlie points of the 

 spinelets are frequently less obviously chLsel-siuiped tiian in the fifjurcs. 



Variations in color, alreaily mentioned, are wide. 



Type-locality. — Sitka, Alaska. 



Distribution. — Sitka, Alaska, all the way to San Diego, California, in suitable 

 locaUties, thence to Gulf of Cahfornia, north of La Paz, Lower California; low 

 tide to 165 fathoms, on rocks, shells, gravel, and hard sand. 



Specimens examined. — Eighty, from the following localities: 



Specimens of Astcrina miniata examined. 



a Shore and 8 hthoms. * Beacon 3. 



RemarJcs. — This is one of the commonest low-tide sijccies of the Cahfornia 

 coast, behig abundant at San Diego, Monterey Bay, and north of San Francisco 

 Bav. The most favorable situations are sheltered coves where the bottom is 

 covered with fair-sized bowlders antl smaller rocks, overgrown with sponges, 

 PhyUospadix, coralline, ami brvozoans, and where the interspaces are floored with 

 coarse sand, broken shells, and coralline. At low tide the animals are found 

 clinging to tlic sheltered sides of the rocks, or among Pliyllospadix ami algtv. They 

 are also founil abumlantly on hanl, sandy bottom, as at San Diogo. 



Tills species is closely related to .1. prcl'mifera (Muller and Tmschel) from 

 Japan. The general type of armature is strikingly alike, and the dilTerences arc 

 mainly in details of the skeleton iiiid in color. -1. prctini/cra seems fo vary more 

 5744-1°— Bull. 76—11 17 



