Il8 FISHER 



The superomarginals are only a trifle, if any, larger in anomalies 

 although the inferomarginals are a little longer and not quite 

 so broad. The chief differences are therefore in proportion. 

 But pacijicus is an undoubted Le-pty chaster, an evident offshoot 

 of arcticus, of the circumpolar fauna. It therefore follows in 

 due course that anomalus is a Leptychaster, although super- 

 ficially different enough from kcrguelencnsis, perhaps, to war- 

 rant another generic designation if we did not have the inter- 

 mediate steps. 



Without having examined specimens of Parastropecten iner- 

 mis I hesitate to further question the validity of the genus, 

 although frankly I find no generic characters other than the 

 size of the superomarginals that can separate the form from 

 Lefty chaster. At any rate, L. anomalus differs from P. iner- 

 mis in having fewer furrow spines, more paxillae spinelets, 5 

 and 6 papulae about the very short-lobed roundish plates (instead 

 of 4), and finally in possessing a minute anal pore. The 

 general facies of the 2 forms is strikingly alike. 



Genus Astropecten Schulze. 

 Astropecten Schulze, Betrachtung der versteinerte Seesterne u. 



ihre Theile, 1760. 



There appear to be 3 species of Astropecten off the Cali- 

 fornia coast. One, which I have provisionally identified as 

 A. erinaceus Gray, does not range much north of San Diego, 

 and seems to be a shore form. I have been unable to identify 

 the other two species with any previously described form. I 

 have recently described one of these as Astropecten californicns 1 

 and the other is diagnosed below. In order to contrast the 

 principal characters a synopsis of the 3 forms is added. 



a. A series of spines along upper edge of superomarginals, and 

 usually, also, a second, parallel longitudinal series, spaced from 



the above ; size large ; littoral erinaceus. 



aa. Superomarginals entirely devoid of enlarged tubercles or spines. 

 b. Paxillae larger, about 3 transverse series opposite 2 superomar- 

 ginals at base of ray ; paxillae not irregular and more crowded 

 along radial lines ; the enlarged spine of actinal surface of 

 adambulacral plates, slender, tapering and bluntly pointed. 



ornatissimus. 

 'Zool. Anzeiger, Bd. XXX, Nr. 10, June 19, 1906, 299. 



