ASTEROIDEA OK NORTH PACIFIC AND ADJACENT WATERS — FISHER. 273 



suggests sometimes sanguinolenta, and sometimes lenusniln witli unusually kiuuII 

 plates. (PI. 65, lig. 2; PI. 66, figs. 1, 3-5.) 



The specimens indicated above have givmi no end of tiouhie; in fact, their 

 classification liere is tentative. The examples are for the most part large, and 

 two are giants compared with our ideas of riinrina. One of these has K =2.'J5 mm., 

 r = 32 mm.; breadth of ray at base 34 mm.; diameter of madreporic body, 6 mm. 

 The other Ls about the same size. I'nless I err, these are much larger than any 

 heretofore recorded Ilenricia (stations 4778, 4784). Two other specimens from 

 4784 (R=122 mm. and 116 nmi.) are similar to the above in general, but one has 

 the abactinal plates larger, almost largo enough to constitute an aberrant /mu«cw7a. 

 A suspicious circumstance connected with these aberrant and variable specimens is 

 that with few exceptions they are found along with two or more other species. 

 Of course there is no way to prove that they are hj'brids, but the extreme instability 

 of their characters (or infidehty to type) and the intermediate nature of the same 

 strongly suggests such a view. They "act" like hybrids, to use a colloquialism; 

 ami, as if the organism were in some way upset, we have giantism. Whatever may 

 be the true explanation of these remarkable variations, it does not seem advisable 

 at present to give them a name. 



The charactei-s of this varietj' are such that they might be produced in different 

 localities by difrerent sets of factors. The specimens from '.idO'I antl 3500 look like 

 simple intermediates between sanguinolenta and leviuseula, the leriusnila appearance 

 dominating on account of the prommeut regular ventral rows of plates. Means of 

 discriminating species of Ilenricia are so crude that it is not possible to determine 

 whether all the si)ecimens relegated to tliLs variety really lielong there. Some may 

 be simply extreme variations of leriusmla and mitltispina. 



One is almost forced to conclude that nearly all the so-called species of this 

 genus are simjdy centers of variability which intergrade (both geographically 

 and bathj'mctricidly') with tlieir associated and neighboring forms. 



The following stations at which variety C was taken also j-ieldcd other species: 

 4777, //. aspera, II. leinuscula multispina; 4778, muUispina; 4779, the same; 4784, 

 typical sanguinoJenfa, aspera, multispina, leviuseula; 3223, aspera, multispina, 

 typical sanguinolenta; 3602, aspera, multispina, var. 



Variety D. — Six specimens, aUkc in general features but differing in a few minor 

 details, remain more or less enigmatical. They evidently belong close to sanguino- 

 lenta, but the abactinal skeleton is much more open than is usual in this species. 

 The spinelets arc A-ery small and in spaced clusters of three to sLx along the top of 

 the ridges which inclose m their meshes incomi)lete secondary ridges, and about live 

 to eight papulaj. The latter are more or less segregated bj* the secondary ridges. 

 Actinally tlie specimens resemble more nearly tjijical sanguinolenta in the adambu- 

 lacral armature and general appearance of the ventral j)latcs. Two series of mar- 

 ginal plates, an intcrmarginal series and an actinal intermciliato series (all small), 

 are sometimes distinguishable, although the last may bo all that is easily seen. It 

 is of course ])ossible that this is a closely related species, but in view of three fairly 

 intermediate examples it has seemed safer to follow the present course. Stations 

 3331, 3548, 4784, 4792. 



57444°— BuU. 70—11 18 



