128 BULLETIN 75, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



typical aculeata that it is impossible for me to separate them satis- 

 factorily. The four figures iAIa-d) will give a little idea of the diver- 

 sity which this species shows in the disk covering and in the plates 

 of the upper side of the arm. While typical japonica approaches 

 kennerlyi, we find specimens at the other extreme which approach 

 very near to longispina and halceri. Although japonica is very com- 

 mon in Bering Sea and near the Aleutian Islands, it extends down on 

 the Japanese coast nearly to lat. 33°, while on the American coast 

 it is not found below lat. 54°, being replaced by var. Jcennerlyi. The 

 largest specimen in the collection is 22 mm. across the disk. The 

 bathymetrical and temperature ranges of this variety are notable. 



OPHIOPHOLIS ACULEATA. 



Asterias aculeata Linn^us, Syst. Nat., 12th ed., 1767, p. 1101. 

 Ophiopholis aculeata Gray, List Brit. Mus., Had. Anim., 1848, p. 25. 



Localities. — Albatross station 2842, oil' Alaska, lat. 54° 15' N.; long. 

 166° 3' W., 72 fathoms, ])ebbles, bottom temperature 41°, 9 speci- 

 mens; station 2845, off Alaska, lat. 54° 5' N.; long. 164° 9' W., 42 

 fathoms, coarse black sand, bottom temperature 42°, 37 specimens; 

 station 2846, off Alaska, lat. 54° 8' N.; long. 162° 44' W., 44 fathoms, 

 gravel, bottom temperature 42°, 12 specimens; station 2849, off 

 Alaska, lat. 55° 16' N.; long. 160° 28' W., 69 fathoms, green mud, 

 bottom temperature 43°, 24 specimens; station 2850, off Alaska, 

 lat. 54° 52' N.; long. 159° 46' W., 21 fathoms, broken shells, bottom 

 temperature 48.2°, 1 specimen; station 2854, off Alaska, lat. 56° 55' 

 N.; long. 153° 4' W., 60 fathoms, black sand, bottom temperature 

 42.8°, 2 specimens; station 2856, off Alaska, lat. 58° 7' N.; long. 151° 

 36' W., 68 fathoms, gray sand, black specks, bottom temperature 44°, 

 15 specimens; station 2857, off Alaska, lat. 58° 5' N.; long. 150° 46' 

 W., 51 fathoms, broken shells, gray sand, bottom temperature 44.6°, 

 10 specimens; station 2874, off Washington, lat. 48° 30' N.; long. 

 124° 57' W., 27 fathoms, rocks, shells, bottom temperature 50.3°, 

 4 specimens; station 2875, off Washington, lat. 48° 30' N.; long. 124° 

 57' W., 40 fathoms, rocks, shells, bottom temperature 47.8°, 1 speci- 

 men; station 2887, off Oregon, lat. 43° 58' N.; long. 124° 57' W., 42 

 fathoms, clay, pebbles, bottom temperature 47.1°, 1 specimen; station 

 3095, off Oregon, lat. 42° 44' 45" N. ; long. 124° 38' 10" W., 42 

 fathoms, rocks, stones, broken shells, bottom temperature 47°, 3 

 specimens; station 3158, off California, lat. 37° 47' 30" N.; long. 123° 

 10' 40" W., 29 fathoms, rocky, bottom temperature 51.4°, 1 speci- 

 men; station 3159, off California, lat. 37° 47' 20" N.; long. 123° 10' 

 W., 27 fathoms, rocky, 1 specimen; station 3168, off California, lat. 

 38° 1' 25" N. ; long. 123° 26' 55" W., 34 fathoms, rocky, coral, 1 speci- 

 men; station 3212, off Alaska, lat. 54° 5' 30" N.;long. 162° 54' W., 

 49 fathoms, gray sand, black specks, bottom temperature 38°, 99 



