﻿124 
  COLLECTIONS 
  FROM 
  MELANESIA. 
  

  

  2. 
  Asterias 
  polyplax. 
  

   Perrier, 
  p, 
  63. 
  

  

  A 
  small 
  specimen 
  with 
  two 
  long, 
  two 
  short 
  and 
  stout, 
  and 
  four 
  

   shorter 
  and 
  more 
  delicate 
  arms. 
  

   Port 
  Jackson, 
  March 
  1881. 
  

  

  3. 
  Echinaster 
  purpureus. 
  

  

  Othilia 
  purpurea, 
  Gray, 
  Ann. 
  8f 
  Mag. 
  N. 
  H. 
  (1) 
  vi. 
  p. 
  282. 
  

   Echinaster 
  fallax, 
  Mull. 
  Sf 
  Trosch. 
  Syst. 
  Asterid. 
  p. 
  23 
  ; 
  Perrier, 
  p. 
  106. 
  

  

  While 
  some 
  have 
  six 
  and 
  another 
  five 
  arms, 
  not 
  markedly 
  differing 
  

   in 
  length, 
  another 
  has 
  one 
  very 
  long 
  arm, 
  with 
  a 
  madreporite 
  on 
  

   either 
  side 
  of 
  its 
  base, 
  and 
  four 
  shorter 
  arms, 
  of 
  which 
  one 
  is 
  very 
  

   much 
  shorter 
  than 
  the 
  rest 
  ; 
  it 
  bears, 
  however, 
  indications 
  of 
  injury 
  

   and 
  subsequent 
  repair. 
  

  

  Port 
  MoUe 
  ; 
  Port 
  Denison 
  ; 
  Thursday 
  Island, 
  4-6 
  fms. 
  

  

  4. 
  Metrodira 
  suhulata. 
  

   Gray, 
  Ann. 
  Sf 
  Mag. 
  N. 
  II. 
  (1) 
  vi. 
  p. 
  282. 
  

  

  Plinders, 
  Clairmont 
  ; 
  Alert 
  Island, 
  7 
  fms. 
  

  

  5. 
  Linckia 
  Isevigata. 
  

  

  Pei-rier, 
  p. 
  137. 
  

  

  A 
  dried 
  specimen 
  still 
  retains 
  very 
  well 
  its 
  blue 
  coloration. 
  

   Clairmont 
  Island. 
  

  

  6. 
  Linckia 
  nodosa. 
  

  

  153. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  not, 
  I 
  think, 
  any 
  doubt 
  that 
  the 
  four 
  specimens 
  from 
  the 
  

   Arafura 
  Sea 
  (32-36 
  fms.) 
  and 
  Prince 
  of 
  "Wales 
  Channel 
  (7 
  fms.) 
  

   are 
  representatives 
  of 
  this 
  species, 
  of 
  which 
  Prof. 
  Perrier 
  has 
  given 
  

   an 
  admirable 
  description 
  ; 
  the 
  specimens, 
  however, 
  on 
  which 
  that 
  

   description 
  is 
  based 
  bore 
  no 
  indication 
  of 
  any 
  locality. 
  

  

  The 
  specimens 
  are 
  very 
  much 
  finer 
  than 
  those 
  measured 
  by 
  

   M, 
  Perrier, 
  R 
  being 
  equal 
  to 
  213, 
  118, 
  and 
  104 
  millim., 
  with 
  r 
  23, 
  

   18, 
  and 
  13. 
  The 
  disk 
  with 
  18 
  millim. 
  radius 
  has 
  apparently 
  

   received 
  some 
  injury 
  ; 
  but 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  that, 
  in 
  this 
  species, 
  there 
  

   is 
  a 
  difference 
  in 
  the 
  sexes, 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  specimen 
  in 
  question 
  is 
  

   in 
  a 
  different 
  condition 
  of 
  generative 
  maturity 
  to 
  the 
  others 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  

   impossible, 
  however, 
  to 
  settle 
  the 
  question, 
  as 
  the 
  example 
  has 
  been 
  

   dried. 
  

  

  