REPORT ON THE ASTEROIDEA, 193 
Madreporiform body large, a little more than its own diameter distant from the 
margin. 
Remarks.—The genus Moiraster is established for the reception of a well-characterised 
form described by Professor Jeffrey Bell’ under the name of Archaster magnificus, the 
types of which are in the British Museum. 
Through the kindness of Professor Bell I have had every facility for examining this 
interesting starfish. Judging from the superficial examination of the dried examples I 
consider that the character of the abactinal plating, the form of the marginal plates, the 
extensive development of the interradial areas, the character of the intermediate plates, 
and the presence of the strongly-developed superambulacral plates of Archaster magnificus 
necessitate its separation from Archaster as now defined. I have also great doubts as to 
the presence of an anal orifice. I regard the form as the type of a distinct genus, for 
which, at the request of my friend, I have proposed a name, in order that it might be 
placed in the foregoing synopsis. The natural position of Moiraster appears to be inter- 
mediate between Leptoptychaster and Astropecten. 
Supplementary to the excellent specific description given by Professor Bell, I have 
added the preceding notes ‘on the characters which may be taken as diagnostic of the 
genus. 
1. Moiraster magnificus, Bell, sp. 
Archaster magnificus, Bell, 1881, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 5, vol. viii. p. 440. 
Locality.—St Helena. Collected by Mr J. C. Melliss. 
No example of this form was obtained by the Challenger Expedition, 
Genus Astropecten, Linck. 
Astropecten, Linck, De Stellis marinis, 1733, p. 26. 
Stellaria, Nardo, De Asteriis, Oken’s Isis, 1834, p. 716. 
Asterias, Agassiz, Mém. Soe. Sci. Nat. Neuchatel, 1835, t. i. p. 168. 
Crenaster, @’Orbigny, Prodrome de Paléontologie, 1850, t. i. p. 240. 
This genus is world-wide in its distribution, but confined to the temperate and tro- 
pical regions. Nearly all the species inhabit. shallow water, and, with the exception of 
three, are confined to the Littoral zone. 
The number of species is large, and the morphological plasticity of the genus consider- 
able, as might naturally be expected in a type extended over such a wide area; the 
species maintaining, however, the type facies in a remarkable manner, 
1 Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 1881, ser. 5, vol. viii. p. 440, 
(ZOOL, CHALL, EXP.—PART LI,—1888.) \ 95 
