A. E. Verrill— Revision Genera and Si^ecies of Starfishes. 223 



The type species, S. alhula, is common in moderately deep water 

 (1-229 fathoms) from Greenland to Cape Hatteras. It has once 

 been taken by the Albatross, in 1253 fathoms (station 2726, N. lat. 

 36° 34'), unless some mistake o-as made in the labelling. It has also 

 been dredged by the U. S. Fish Commission off the coast of South 

 Carolina and apparently in the West Indies. At least I have not 

 yet been able to find any satisfactory characters for distinguishing 

 the West Indian form S. gracilis (Per. as Asterias, 1884) from the 

 northern one. It also has a wide range on the European coasts. 



Note. 



The specimens above described and discussed belong to several 

 collections : 



I. The general collection of the Peabody Museum, Yale University, of which 

 I have had personal charge for many years. 

 II. The Museum of Comparative Zoology of Harvard University, where 1 have 

 had opportunities to examine especially the collections made in the West 

 Indies by the U. S. Coast Survey steamer "Blake," during several 

 expeditions under the supervision of Mr. Alexander Agassiz. This col- 

 lection is of particular importance for it contains the types described by 

 Perrier, from these expeditions. My thanks are due to Mr. Waiter 

 Faxon for his kindness in affording me facilities for this study. 



III. The very extensive collections made by the U. S. Fish Commission, under 



my supervision, from 1871 to 1887, off the north-eastern coasts of North 

 America. A large part of this collection is now in the U. S. National 

 Museum, but a duplicate series is in the Yale Museum. 



IV. A very interesting collection of deep-sea species dredged in the West Indies 



and Gulf of Mexico by the U. S. Fish Comm. steamer "Albatross" in 

 1884-1886, and sent to me from the U. S. Nat. Museum for identification 

 and study. This collection contains most of the new species described 

 by Perrier, and some additional new forms. 

 V. A small but interesting collection made in the Bahamas and off Cuba by an 

 expedition from the University of Iowa, and sent to me for study. 



The two last named collections will be reported upon by me in 

 detail in subsequent articles. 



Much of the value of this article will be due to the unusually 

 accurate enlarged drawings of the structural details of many of the 

 genera and species discussed. These have all been made by ray son, 

 Mr. A. H. Verrill, and reproduced in facsimile by photolithography. 



