190 BULLETIN 76, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



I have maintained the species in a broader sense than Doderlein who recognizes 

 ninth, us (including orstedii Lutken) as a distinct subspecies of braziliensis, an 

 Atlantic species. The type of armatus came from Ecuador, which is also the type 

 locality of erinaceus (the range of which is given as from Ecuador to Lower Cali- 

 fornia). A. erinaceus appears to be a forma of armatus rather than a distinct sub- 

 species. In any event the name armatus can not be restricted to southern Cali- 

 fornia specimens, if these are really distinct from the race called erinaceus, since the 

 t j pe of armatus is from Ecuador. Nor does it seem wise to make armatus a subspecies 

 of a tropical Atlantic form, which is widely separated geographically with a broad 

 land barrier intervening. 



Yerrill reports (1914, p. 319) a specimen from the cold svater off San Francisco, 

 which is obviously an error and leads me to think that his BlaJciaster ritteri and 

 Astrometis californica are also from the warm area of southern California. 



This species is far too variable to split into races on the strength of trivial char- 

 acters. 



ASTROPECTEN ORNATISSIMUS Fisher, pt. 1. p. 67. 



Vicinity of Guadelupe and Cerros Islands, Lower California, north to Santa 

 Catalina Island and San Pedro, in southern California; 47 to 207 fathoms; fine or 

 coarse sand, green mud. 



ASTROPECTEN VERRILLI CALIFORNICUS Fisher, pt. 1. p. 61. 



Astropecien californicus Fisher, 1906c, p. 299; 1911, p. 61.— Verrill, 1914, p. 319. 



Astropecten verrilli de Loriol, Doderlein, 1917, p. 85. 



From north of Point Reyes, Calif., to northern Lower California; 10 to 244 

 fathoms, usually on fine sand, but occurring also on coarse sand, and on mud. 



Astropecten verrilli seems, biologically, to be a warm-water offshoot of californicus, 

 which in a typical form inhabits cold water (47° to 52° F.). A. rerrilli has a single 

 longiseries of small tubercles along the superomarginal series. Doderlein classifies 

 it in his braziliensis group. 



THRISSACANTHIAS PENICILLATUS (Fisher), pi. 1, p. 79. 



Washington to Los Coronados Islands, Lower California; 277 to 822 fathoms; 

 green mud or fine sand. 



DYTASTER GILBERTI Fisher, pt. 1. p. 101. 



Off San Diego, Calif., 2,196 to 2,228 fathoms, gray mud; undoubtedly inter- 

 grading with D. gilberti demonstrans Ludwig of the Panama region. 



Family LUIDIIDAE Verrill 



LUIDIA FOLIOLATA Grube. pt. 1. p. 106. 



Southeast Alaska to San Diego, Calif., and probably to Mazatlan, Mexico; 

 10 to 189 fathoms, usually in less than 80 fathoms, and on fine sand or mud; some- 

 times on hard sand. 



LUIDIA LUDWIGI Fisher, pt. 1, p. 113. 



Monterey Bay, south to San Pedro, Calif., in 15 to 50 fathoms; mud, sand; 

 gray sand, shells. 



