THE CRINOID GENUS COMA TULA— CLAEX. 685 



The genus Comatula falls naturally into two divisions, species in 

 which the costals are united by syzygy, and species in which the cos- 

 tals are articulated. Each of these divisions is a homogeneous unit, 

 which can not, with our present knowledge of the species, be advanta- 

 geously subdivided. For the first division the name Comatula (type 

 Comatula Solaris Lamarck) is available. Two generic names, Cotti- 

 aster L. Agassiz, 1836, and Phanogenia Loven, 1806, have been based 

 on species of the second group, of which Coniaster (with the type, 

 C oniatula inultlradiata \j^a\\y\yq\^^ Asterias multiradiata Linnanis, not 

 Comatula multiradiata Goldfuss [^Alecto novm-guineo: Midler] as 

 has been stated by various authors, following Midler), being the 

 earlier, will have to be used. 



COMATULA Lamarck, 1816. 



A genus of Comatulidiv ( =Actinometrida^) in which the costals 

 are united by syzygy, the clistichals are 2 (1+2) or 4 (1+2; 3+4), 

 and the palmars 2 (1+2). 



Type of the genus. — Comatula Solaris Lamarck, 1816. 



Distrihution. — Australia northward, throughout the East Indies, 

 to Japan. ? Madagascar. ? Society Islands. 



The known species belonging to this genus as here restricted are : 



ContatuUt distiiicta (P. H. Carpenter). 

 ComaiuJd ntultibrachiata (P. H. Car- 

 penter ) . 

 Comatula notata (P. H. Carpenter). 



Comatula paucirirra (Bell). 

 Comatula pcctinata (Liinianis). 

 Comatula serrata A. H. Clark. 

 Comatula Solaris Lamarck. 



COMASTER L. Agassiz, 1886. 



A genus of Comatulida' in which the costals are united by bifascial 

 articulation, the distichals being 2 or 4 (3+4) or both, rarely irreg- 

 ular. 



Type of the genus. — Asterias multiradiata Linna?us, 1758, and of 

 Retzius, 1783 (not Asterias multiradiata Gray, 1840=type of the 

 genus Ileliaster) . 



Distrihution. — Intei-tropical ; north to the Bay of Biscay. South 

 Carolina, southern Japan, and Korea, south to southern Brazil, 

 Peru, Australia, and the Cape of Good Hope; the headquarters are 

 in the East Indian recion. 



