32 STYLASTERID.5:. 



the reefs, though ratlier rare. Dead specinions were found off Double- 

 Headed Shot Key (Elbow Key) in 315 fathoms, with the j^receding 

 species. The association of three allied shoal-water forms transported 

 to this deep-water locality is rather singular. 



Family STYLASTERID^ Gray. 



Sli/las/cracciE M.-Ki>\v. & II. (|)ars). 



This iamily was first established by Gray (Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., 

 "\'ol. XIX., 1847), lor tiic genus Sti/luster alone. M.-Edwards and Haime 

 made of it a group or subfamily [agelc), and placed it among the Ocu- 

 linid;\3 under the name of Stjdasteracea?. They have, however, left 

 out the genus Errina Gray altogether, placed Distichopora among the 

 genera of doubtful position, Init included Axohelk, which is a Madracia. 

 Otherwise the limits of the group are the same wdiicli we shall use. 



Professor Yerrill first recognized the close affinity of Distichopora, 

 Errina, and Stylaster (Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., No. 3, 1864). In his 

 ''Notes on Radiata" (Trans. Conn. Acad., A'ol. 1., 1870) he adopted a 

 suggestion of mine to make a distinct family of the Stylasteridaj, 

 which he ])laces in his suborder of Oculinacea, both of us overlooking 

 tlie fiict, that Gra}^ had long before already established it. 



The association of the Stylasterida? with the OculinidiV does not 

 ap|)car natural, and a closer examination of the structure seems to 

 warrant their removal from that vicinity. The civnenchyma is found, 

 on close examination, to be abundantly perforated ; this can be seen 

 more distinctly in Alliipord viiniala (and best in dead and bleached speci- 

 mens) liiau any othci- form that 1 have examined, but after proper 

 preparation there is no ditHcnlty in recognizing that structure in 

 all the genera. The best way is to prepare a section and brush it 

 over with ink or some other colored liquid, which will fill the fine 

 canals and show tiieni to pervade the whole ca^nenchynia, anastomos- 

 ing among themselves and connmniicating with the surface and with 

 the interior of the calicles. 



According to this character we should be warranted in placing the 

 Stylasterid:\3 among the Perforata, were we to follow M.-Edwards 

 and Haime's system implicitly; hnt this section contains so heteroge- 

 neous an assemblage of families, that it will most certainly have to be 

 dismembered. In another ])lace in this paper reasons will be given 

 for separating the Eupsammiche from the Madreporidte, with which 

 they have been closely connected. It woidd be perhai)s imprudent, 

 without further research, to associate the Stylasteridie with the 



