138 
CuarKk, Austin Hopart—Continued. 
dages; the addition of half of a pair be- 
tween the two elements of the anterior 
pair, at first by mutation, as in the speci- 
men of Platysamia cecropia figured, caused 
in these sessile animals no inconvenience, 
and therefore became fixed, resulting in a 
more or less perfect pentamerous sym- 
metry in which the odd (anterior) ray is 
always the most primitive in structure 
and the least stable in appearance, being 
frequently absent, while the other rays 
are invariably present. 
Echinoderm larve are bilaterally sym™ 
metrical; but they are in all essentials 
highly specialized animals of quite a 
different class, fitted for an entirely differ- 
ent mode of existence, and are only com- 
parable to the adults, ontogenetically and 
phylogenetically, in the same way as in- 
sect larve are comparable to adult insects. 
The echinoderms in their life phases and, 
in general, in their structure, are more or 
less strictly comparable to those insects 
which undergoacomplete metamorphosis. 
An interesting structural analogy. 
Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 8th ser., 5, 
Apr., 1910, pp. 358-361, figs. 1, 2. 
Attention is called to the curious simi- 
larity between the so-called ‘‘side-” and 
“covering-plates” of crinoids and the 
‘‘snow-shoes”’ of certain grouse, as seen 
in Bonasa umbellata. The perfect devel- 
opment of these plates in deep water 
forms only is noted, and correlated with 
the fact that they feed only upon dead food 
particles which fall upon these plates and 
glance from them into the ambulacral 
grooves. 
—The phylogenetic interrelation- 
ships of the recent crinoids. 
Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 38, No. 
1732, May 3, 1910, pp. 115-118. 
This paper treats of the phylogenetic 
interrelationships of the recent crinoids 
without regard to their fossil representa- 
tives; the characters chiefly employed are 
found in the stem and in the basals. 
— On the type specimen of the 
crinoid described by Miiller as Alecto 
purpurea. 
Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 23, 
May 27, 1910, pp. 95-98, 1 fig: 
The type specimen of Alecto purpurea, 
described by Prof. Johannes Miiller in 
1841, is described in detail and figured. 
The species is quite distinct from any 
other known form, though nearly related 
to the A sterias pectinata of Linnzeus. It 
occurs, so far as now known, only in 
Queensland. 
Ciark, Austin HosBart. 
REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1910. 
On the origin 
of certain types of crinoid stems. 
Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 38, No. 
1740, June 6, 1910, pp. 211-216. 
The origin of the crinoid stem from the 
primitive dorsocentral echinoderm plate 
is traced and all the various types are 
shown to converge toward it. The ab- 
sence of this plate in the so-called ‘“ Pa- 
leoechinoidea’’ is explained by the great 
specialization of the test in this group 
whereby this primitive structure has been 
lost, though persisting in the less special- 
ized recent forms. 
A new Australian crinoid. 
Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 38, No. 
1743, June 7, 1910, pp. 275-276. 
A new species of Compsometra, C.lacer- 
tosa, is described from Port Jackson, New 
South Wales, the type being in the Aus- 
tralian Museum at Sydney. This species 
was mentioned by P. H. Carpenter in 
1890, but was not diagnosed by him; his 
specimens were from Port Phillip. 
— The strict application of the law of 
priority to generic names. 
Science (n.s.), 31, No. 787, Jan. 28, 
1910, pp. 145,146. 
The preliminary results ofan exhaustive 
canvass among scientific men to deter 
mine the existing sentiment in regard to 
the strict application of the international 
code of nomenclature is given, and it is 
shown that some modification of the code 
is urgently called for because of the de- 
plorable results of the application of it in 
its present form. 
FisHer, WALTER K. New Fterasteride 
from the North Pacific. 
Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 8th ser., 5, 
Feb., 1910, pp. 167-170. 
Describes four new species of Pteraster 
and two of Hymenaster, and gives keys, 
including other North Pacific species. 
New genera of starfishes. 
Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 8th ser., 5, 
Feb., 1910, pp. 171-173. 
Describes four new genera, Thrissacan- 
thias, Gephyreaster, Spheriodiscus, and 
Heterozonias, and defines the limits of 
Pentagonaster, Tosia, and others. 
— — New starfishes from the North 
Pacific.—I. Phanerozonia. 
Zool. Anzeiger, 35, No. 18, Mar, 29, 
1910, pp. 545-553. 
Thirteen new species and two new sub- 
species are diagnosed and keys are given 
including all of the North Pacific species 
of Dipsacaster, Benthopecten, and Acan- 
tharchaster. 
