REVISION OF THE CRINOID FAMILY COMASTERID.E, 

 WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW GENERA AND SPECIES. 



By Austin Hobart Clark, 



Collaborator, DirUion of Mnrinr Invertebrates, U. S. National Musettm. 



The work of the steamer Albatross, of the United States Bureau 

 of Fisheries, especially Avithin the last two years, has resulted in 

 the accumulation of a magnificent collection of comasterid material, 

 practically every known and numerous heretofore unknown species 

 being represented. This has been studied in connection with the 

 remarkably comprehensive collection belonging to the zoological 

 museum of the University of Copenhagen (previously studied by 

 Drs. C. F. Liitken and P. H. Carpenter), for the privilege of exam- 

 ining which I am indebted to the generosity of my friend. Dr. Th. 

 Mortensen; with the very fine collection of Japanese comasteri'ds 

 deposited in the U. S. National Museum by Mr. Frank Springer.; 

 with the collection made by the German steamer Gazelle in Ausr 

 tralia, sent to me for study through the kindness of Drs. W. Weltne.r 

 and R. Hartmeyer, and \>fith the collections of a number of Ame^r 

 ican museums. Still other collections have been examined at differ- 

 ent times, and the notes made on them have proved of considerable 

 value, the most important of these being the collection at the 

 Museum of Comparative Zoology, which contains specimens identi- 

 fied by Carpenter, and that of the Boston Society of Natural History. 



After the completion of the work on this " revision," the authori- 

 ties of the Indian Museum at Calcutta, through the superintendent, 

 Dr. N. Annandale, sent me the specimens collected by the steamer 

 Investigator, which proved to be a collection of more than usual 

 interest. It was with considerable gratification that I found, after 

 a critical study of the Investigator material, no changes of any kind 

 were necessary, and I was thereby induced to publish the " revision " 

 in its present form, believing that, if such a large collection as that 

 of the Investigator did not alter in any way the general scheme, 

 there was a reasonable hope of at least as long a life as is enjoyed 

 by most " revisions." 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. XXXVi— No. 1685. 



493 



