Prof. F. J. Bell on British Ophiurids. 341 



3. What is the Correct Name for the Common Sand- Star? 



This species has been called Ophioglypha ciliata bj many. 

 As has just been shown, it must be called Ophiura at any 

 rate. 



The earliest known Asterias ciliata is generally stated to 

 be that of Retzius, the date of which is 1783, and not, as 

 sometimes stated, 1805 ; but there is an earlier A. ciliata — 

 that of O. r. Miiller (1776) — which is clearly the same as 

 Asterias fragilis, Linn. 



So ciliata cannot be used. 



But Retzius in his synonymy gives A. ciliaris, Linn., as a 

 synonym of A. ciliata ; reference to the figures cited by 

 Linnaeus from Linck shows that more than one species was 

 included by him under that name, but an inspection of the 

 figures of Barrelier shows that what we have called 0. 

 ciliata is to be taken as meant. 



So, then, we have 



Asterias ciliar is ^ Linn. (1766)* (part), = 6^. c^Vi'afa, auctorum 

 (nee Houtyn, Linn. Nat. Hist. xiv. (1770), pi. cxiii. fig. 5). 



-<4s^er2V/sc«7/a^a,O.F. Miiller (1776),= Ophiothrix fragilis ^ L. 



A. ciliata^ Retz (1783), = ^. ciliaris, L. (part). 



A. ciliaris, Lamk. {1'60\)^= Ophiothrix frag His. 



4. Asterias noctiluca^ Viviani. 



Those authors, with one exception, who have taken the 

 trouble to refer to Viviani's description of Asterias noctiluca 

 (Phosphor, mar. (1805) p. 5) regard the name as synonymous 

 with Ainphiura squamata, which, again, appears to be a 

 synonym of Amphiura elegans. This last specific name was 

 applied in 1815 by Leach to an Ophiurid ; but Viviani's 

 tract bears date 1805. From Viviani's description, however, 

 it is impossible to say that he definitely describes this common 

 small form ; and as we know that young Ophiurids of many 

 kinds are phosphorescent, it is better to adopt the very sensible 

 view of Messrs. Dujardin and Hup6 that it is only a young 

 form. It was possibly applied by its author to the young of 

 several distinct species. I gather from Mr. Stebbing's 

 '■ Challenger ' Report [s. v. " Viviani ") that carcinologists 



* The remaining part of A. ciliaris, L., seems to be 0. fragilis, aud as 

 the Ophiothrix forms get a name from that day, the remaining must be 

 called O. ciliaris. 



