114 T. GrsLEX. 



are smaller ami therefore the cirri too, which are lacking on the only 

 known specimen, are probably more slendei- than in tiie otlier species. 

 "With regard to the last characteristic I may emphasize the following 

 facts. It is a general rule that cirri formed in the doi-sal cirrus-whoi'l 

 (also dating from a younger stage) are more slender than the ven- 

 tral ones, which are formed at an older stage. The more lobust 

 the specimen is, the more coarse are also the cirri. Thus for instance 

 the cirri in sp. 24 are thin and slendei'. in sp. 1 1 and 12 very much 

 coarser and thicker. This charactei- is therefore not necessarily so 

 very important, when other distinguishing features whicli support the 

 suggestion of a i-eal difference between the species are not added. — 

 ^^'ith regard to A. lepida it is also stated that Cd should have a spe- 

 cific formation. A glance at the collected facts given above in the 

 descriptions of the specimens shows that the appearance of Cd is also 

 subject to great variation. 1 have selected sp. 18. 27 and 34 to be 

 reproduced. The last-mentioned specimen, which has an arm-length 

 of 70 mm. and is therefore of the same size as the single specimen 

 of A. lepida found, has a small, conical Cd w^th relatively small cirrus- 

 sockets. Cd of sp. 27 (arm-length 85 mm.) is a transition-foi-m to Cd 

 of Sp. 18 (arm-length 100 mm.( which is of typical A. anllins-acerba 

 formation. 



As all ti-ansitions between these two types are found among 

 the above-described specimens. 1 cannot consider A. lepida to be a se- 

 parate species but I'egard it only as a younger individual of Astero- 

 meira anilms. 



Finally some words about the above-described very young spe- 

 cimens. One can plainly follow the growth-abbreviation of all ossicles, 

 already observed by P. H. Carpenter. Perhaps one finds this fact 

 demonstrated best in the j^roportion between L and br of the cirrals 

 (cf. e. g. sp. 1; 37 and 53), but one can also get good subjects f(^r 

 demonstration in the P — s and proxinml Br-s. In the lattei- one can 

 also follow the disappearance of the juvenile carina on I liv 1 and 2 

 and the appearance of certain mai'ks of old age (the indistinct ci'ista 

 on the same ossicles in certain old specimens). The pinnulars seem 

 to be but slightly affected by this abbreviation (cf. e. g. sp. 1 and 54). 



The occui-rence of orals is also very interesting. In specimens 

 of an arm-length of less than 10 mm. they are well preserved, but 



