203 



abundant on the coast of Florida ; and third, because it is not 

 any of the known Florida or West Indian species. OpModerma 

 virescens (Ltk.) should therefore be written Ophiura appressa, 



(Say.) 



Ophioderma AntiUarum (Ltk.) agrees with Miiller and Tro- 

 schel's description of Ophioderma cinereiim, if the same sized ani- 

 mals be compared ; and 0. cinereum does not agree with any 

 other known member of the genus. Unless, therefore, a direct 

 comparison of the original specimen in the Vienna Museum gives 

 a different result, cinereum must take the precedence, and the 

 name must be written Ophiura cinerea. 



Asterias cordifera (Bosc) is considered by Dr. Liitken as iden- 

 tical with a species from the West Indies, described by him as 

 Amphiura cordifera. This cannot well be. Amphiura cordifera 

 (Ltk.) is not found at all in Carolina, where Bosc described his 

 Asterias as common. A slight comparison of the descriptions 

 will show that Liitken's Ophiuran disagrees with that of Bosc, in 

 the length of the arms, form of the disc-scales, separation of the 

 radial shields, &c. On the other hand, it is plain that Asterias 

 cordifera is Ophiura elongata (Say) ; for this species, therefore, 

 the name Amphiura cordifera must be reserved, and a new spe- 

 cific name given to Amphiura cordifera^ (Ltk.) 



Ophionereis triloba (Ltk.) is the same as Ophiolepis anmdata, 

 (Le Conte.) It should therefore be written Ophionereis annu- 

 lata. Dr. Le Conte mistook one tentacle-scale for two. 



Concerning the Ophiuran faunoe that characterize the western 

 coasts of Europe and of North America, and the eastern coast of 

 North America, including the West Indies, not enough is known to 

 give fully reliable information. But some characteristic limits 

 may, nevertheless, be pointed out. Starting with the northern 

 seas of Europe, north of 50°, we find several species, such as 

 Ophiopholis acideata, Ophioglypha Sarsii, and Ophiacantha spinu- 

 losa, that pass northward and westward, through the cold temper- 

 ate and frigid regions, and then follow the coasts of Greenland 

 and America southward, reaching nearly to lat. 40°, or about 10° 

 further south than they appear on the European coast. On the 

 other hand, there are species, such as Amphiura filiformis and 

 A. brachiata, that do not pass to the American shores ; and others, 

 such as Amphiura tenuis and Ophiolepis (?) robusta, (Ayres,) 



