N. H. 18iO, p. 183; Forbes, Wern. Trans. \n\. 121; Mull. 

 ^ Trosch. Ast. 26 ; Crossaster, Miill. «f Trosch. 



a. Body 8- or 9-rai/ed, closely reticulated, rays rounded, 



ventricose below, tapering at the tip, xoith a second row 

 of compressed tubercles on the underside of the arms 

 near the ambulacral series. Encleca, Gray. 



1. Solaster endeca, Forbes, Wern. Trans, viii. 121 ; 

 Gray, Ann. N. H. 1840, p. 183 ; Mull. & Troscli. Ast. 26 ; 

 Asterias endeca, Linn. Ast. aspersa, Muller. luliab. 

 European Seas. 



b. Body 10- or l2-rayed. loosely reticulated ; the rays de- 



pressed, with a series of large compressed tubercles 

 crowned with a bunch of spines edging the oral ridge. 

 Polyaster, Gray. 



2. Solaster papposus, Forbes, Wei-n. Trans, viii. t. 121 ; 

 Gray, Ann. N. H. 1840, p. 183; Miill. & Trosch. Ast. 26. 

 Asterias papposa, Linn. Ast. stellata, Retz. Inhab. Euro- 

 pean Seas. 



VI. Henkicia. The rays 5, rounded, tapering, with 

 rounded tubercles near the ambulacra; the dorsal wart 

 obscure, few-rayed, often hidden with small .spines. Gray, 

 Ann. N. H. 1840, p. 181. Linckia, Forbes not Nardo. 

 Echinaster, sp., Mlill. iS)- Trosch. 



1. Henricia oculata. Rays 5, closely reticulated with 

 small spines. Gray, Ann. N. H. 1840, p. 184. Aste- 

 rias oculata, Penn. Asterias seposita, Retz. Dis. 21. 

 Echinaster oculatus, 3Iull. &; Trosch. Ast. 24; Linck, t. 36. 

 f. 62. Linckia oculata, Forbes, Wern. Trans, viii. 120, 

 t. 3. f. 8. 



See a. Echinaster Eschrichtius^ Miill. Sf Trosch. Ast. 25 ; 

 Greenland. 



Family III. PENTACEROTIDvE. 



The body supported by roundish or elongated pieces, 

 covered with a smooth or granular skin, pierced with 

 minute pores between the tubercles ; vent none. Gray, 

 Syn. Brit. Mies. 1840; Ann. N. H. 1840, p. 275. 



A. Pcntacerotina. Body pentagonal or siiborbictdar ; rays 

 short; dorsal wart single; the ambulacra edged with a 

 series of small spines divided into rounded groups. 

 Gray, Ann. N. H. 1840, p. 275. 



a. The ambulacra with a single series of large .ipines near 

 the edge. 



* Body suborbicnlar , convex above and below ; cornered above 

 and below with granules, and scattered conical tubercles. 



I. CuLciTA. This genus chiefly differs from Randasia 

 and Fentaceros in having no upper series of marginal ossi- 

 cula. It agrees with Randasia in the back being nearly 

 flat. Gray, P. Z. S. 1847, p. 74; Agassis, Prodr. 25; Miill. 

 ^ Trosch. Ast. 37. 



1. Culcita Schmideliana. Body subeircular, flat above 

 when diy (very convex subglobose when alive) . The back 



coriaceous, without any apparent reticulations, covered 

 with scattered, small, conical sjunes. The oral surface 

 rather conve.x (when dry), closely and minutely granular, 

 and with larger conical tubercles ; those near the am- 

 bulacra and oral angles much the largest and ovate. 

 Gray, Ann. N. H. 1840, p. 276; P. Z. S. 1847, p. 74. 

 A. Schmideliana, Retz. Dis.; Schmidel's Naturf. xvi. t 1 

 (good). A. discoidea, 2yH7». A. placenta, Z,a?«A. Culcita 

 discoidea, Agassiz, Miill. ^ Trosch. Ast. 37. Inhab. Lord 

 Hood's Island, oli reefs, H. Cuming, Esq. Bright orange 

 when alive, when in the water very convex. 



There are distinct indications of the lower marginal 

 ossicula in this species, but they and the ossicula of the 

 oral siu'face are not sufficiently large and close to force the 

 dry specimen to assume the pentangular form of the 

 following species. 



2. Culcita pentangularis (T. 2. f. 2) . Body pentangular; 

 back flat when dry, convex beneath, minutely and closely 

 granulated, with obscure reticulations, the reticulations 

 armed with small conical tubercles ; the interspaces 

 closely and minutely porous. The oral surface protected 

 by distinct well-defined ossicula, defining the lower edge 

 of the margin, covered v.'ith close and minute grannies and 

 larger round-topped tubercles, those near the ambulacra 

 and the oral angles being largest and highest. Gray, 

 P. Z. S. 1847, p. 74. Inhab. Reef of Oomaga. 



This species is very distinct from the former, and forms 

 the passage to the genus Randasia ; but there is a series of 

 concave, minutely porous spaces in place of the upper mar- 

 ginal plates. 



See a. Culcita coriacea, Miill. ^' Trosch. Ast. 38; E. M. 

 t. 97. f. 3. b. Culcita Novas-Guineae, Mdll. ^ Trosch. Ast. 

 38. c. Culcita crex, Miill. ^ Trosch. Ast. 34. 



11. AsTERODiscus. Body pentagonal, coriaceou^s, de- 

 pressed, covered with numerous close, flat-topped, unequal, 

 small tubercles ; back convex ; dorsrJ wart roundish, sub- 

 central ; arms short, rounded, with a pair of large convex 

 kidney-shaped ossicula on each, side of the tip above. 

 Margin simple, roixndcd, beneath concave ; ambulacra with 

 a series of short linear spines, placed in groups of four or 

 five, each group on a separate ossiculum, and with two series 

 of larger, blunt, club-shaped spines on the outside of the 

 ambulacral spines. The young specimens have indistinct 

 inferior marginal ossicula. Gray, P. Z. S. 1847, p. 78. 



I. Asterodiscus elegans (T. 12. f. 1,2). Pale brown when 

 dry ; tubercles of the back iniequal, the larger ones trun- 

 cated, those ncai'cst the mouth on the underside larger, 

 club-shaped, rather crowded. Gray, P.Z. S. 1847, p. 78; 

 Ann. N. H. 1847, p. 19G. Inhab. (Brit. Mus.) . 



** Body pentagonal, formed of variously shaped, regularly 

 arranged, e.rternalli/ granular ossicula. Grav, 1. c. 

 1840.' Oreuster, li\i\\. & Trosch. Ast. 44. 



III. Pentaceros. Body convex above, margin with two 

 rows of large spine-bearing tesseroe. Gray, Ann. N. H. 

 1840, p. 276. 



