2 as 
REPORT ON THE ASTEROIDEA. 351 
Chorological Synopsis of the Species. 
Ocean. Range in Fathoms, Nature of the Sea-bottom. 
: Eastern Archipelago x 
Pentaceropsis obtusatus . { and (?) Indian Be { \ Shallow water. 
1. Pentaceropsis obtusatus, Bory de Saint Vincent, sp. 
Asterias obtusatus, Bory de Saint Vincent, 1827, Encycl. Méthod., 10e livr. p. 140, pl. ciii. 
Oreaster obtusatus, Miiller and Troschel, 1842, System der Asteriden, p. 50. 
Pentaceros obtusatus, Perrier, 1876, Révis. Stell. Mus., p. 249 (Archives de Zool. expér., t. v. p. 65). 
Locality. —Off Zebu, Philippine group. On the Reefs. Depth and conditions not 
recorded. 
Genus Culcita, Agassiz. 
Culcita, Agassiz, Mém. Soc. Sci. Nat. Neuchatel, 1835, t. i. p. 192. 
All the species in this genus present a remarkable similarity of facies; and each is 
subject to considerable variation. In some cases a greater superficial difference exists 
between the growth stages of a species than between forms recognised as specifically 
distinct. As a natural result the determination of a limited number of examples of any 
of the forms is attended with considerable difficulty ; and much confusion exists in the 
labelling of specimens preserved in different museums. 
Only one species of Culcita was collected during the Challenger Expedition, which I 
have referred to the Culcita nove-quinex of Miiller and Troschel. 
Chorology of the Genus Culcita. 
a. Geographical distribution :— 
INDIAN and SouTHERN OcEANS : Four species between the parallels of 30° N. and 
40° 8. : ; 
Culcita coriacea, Culcita pentangularis, and Culcita schmide- 
liana, off Mozambique; Culcita coriacea being found also in the 
Red Sea, and Culcita schmideliana at Zanzibar, Madagascar, and 
Mauritius ; Culcita pentangularis and Culcita schmideliana extend 
into the Eastern Archipelago and Pacific, although the occurrence 
of Culcita schnudeliana in the Pacific is perhaps doubtful. Culcita 
veneris, from the Island of St. Paul. 
HasTERN ARCHIPELAGO: Four species between the parallels of 10° N. and 20° §. 
Culcita nove-gquinex, off the coast of New Guinea, extending 
to New Hanover (jide Studer). Culcita pentangularis, from Torres 
