46 THE ECHINODERMS OF TORRES STRAIT. 
marginal. Just distal interradially, to the oral plates, the granulation is much coarser than 
anywhere else on the actinal surface. Color (dry) deep dull purplish, both above and below. 
Holotype, Museum of Comparative Zoélogy, No. 2490; Philippine Islands. 
This interesting specimen was collected by Dr. L. E. Griffin in 1912, but unfortunately 
when received at the Museum it bore no label. The exact locality is therefore not known. 
It is quite different from any other Fromia in the collection, but is undoubtedly allied to 
hemiopla. In view of the fact that the tubercle-like granules on the distal marginals are 
not very conspicuous, that the rays are distinctly longer and narrower than in hemiopla, 
and that the adambulacral armature seems to be quite different, I doubt if this specimen 
belongs to that species. While its peculiarities may be individual and within the limits 
of the specific diversity of hemiopla, until more material is available it had better rest under 
another name. 
Fromia armata. 
Koehler. 1910. Indian Mus. Ast., p. 141, pl. xvi, figs. 8, 9. 
This well-marked species is known as yet only from Port Blair, Andaman Islands. 
One of the types is now in the Museum of Comparative Zoélogy collection, but I have 
nothing to add to Koehler’s very full description. The species can not be confused with 
any other member of the genus. 
Fromia monilis. 
Linckia milleporella von Martens. 1866. Arch. f. Naturg., 32, pt. 1, p. 69. 
Fromia monilis Perrier. 1875. Rev. Stell., Arch. Zool. Exp. 4, p. 179 (4438). 
Fromia japonica Perrier. 1881. Bull. M. C. Z., 9, p. 14.—1884, Blake Stell., p. 227, pl. 4, fig. 2. 
Fromia major Koehler. 1895. Mem. Soe. Zool. France, 8, p. 399, pl. ix, figs. 3, 4—1910. Ast.et Oph. des iles 
Aru et Kei, p. 283, pl. xvi, figs. 6, 7. 
It is not without some hesitation that I have grouped the above names as synonymous, 
but a careful comparison of the holotype of japonica with Perrier’s description of monilis 
and with Koehler’s description and figures of major have led me to this conclusion.' I have 
also taken into account von Martens’ (1866) description of a Fromia which he calls mille- 
porella, but which Perrier (1875) says is really monilis, and Studer’s remarks on a large 
monilis taken by the Gazelle. Moreover, there are two small Fromias from Samoa in the 
Museum of Comparative Zoélogy collection which I believe to be young monilis. The 
fact is that there exists a series of Fromias, ranging from about 40 mm. in diameter to 103 
mm., which agree in having the distal half of the arm rendered more or less moniliform 
by the alternation of long, swollen superomarginals, with short, flat plates, which are prob- 
ably best interpreted as being also superomarginals, though it is not strange that in some 
of the descriptions this has not been recognized and the superomarginals are said to be 
separated by wide spaces. Although agreeing in this important particular, these specimens 
do not agree exactly in their adambulacral armature, and this is what has led to the recog- 
nition of three species. There is also some diversity in the tuberculation or granulation 
of the distal actinolateral and marginal plates, and this, too, has been a source of confusion. 
But if we compare the smallest available specimens with one more than half-grown and 
the latter with Koehler’s type of major, we find the following situation: 
The smallest specimen has R=20 mm. There are 10 superomarginals on each side 
but (counting from the interradius) the fourth, sixth, and eighth are small, nearly flat 
plates; while the first is large but little swollen, the second is more evidently swollen, and 
the third, fifth, seventh, ninth, and tenth are markedly swollen and all but the third have 
a minute central tubercle, and the distal ones have some markedly enlarged granules also. 
The terminal plate is moderately large, smooth, but with half a dozen large granules on 
the oral distal surface and with the fine granulation of the abactinal surface encroaching 
1 Fisher (1919) has already united japonica and major and pointed out the similarities of monilis, so I feel 
more assured of the correctness of the synonyms given above. 
