British Species allied thereto, 471 



Very careful attention was paid to this question bj the 

 late Mr. George Hodge, and by the kindness of the authorities 

 of the Museum of the Natural History Society at Newcastle- 

 upon-Tyne I have been enabled to inspect for myself the 

 S])eciniens on which he founded his conclusions. The most 

 important point is that he and Canon Norman agree generally 

 as to what they call A. violacea, as I am able to testify from 

 specimens which Dr. Norman has kindly lent me. 



Under the head of Asterias rubens Mr. Hodge (Trans. 

 North. & Durham, iv. (1872) p. 137) writes: — 



" This and the following species are united by some authors: 

 I think, however, we have sufficient grounds for separating 

 them, their habitat and the form and cliaracter of the spines 

 being quite distinct. The genus is altogether a puzzling one, 

 and one in which it is very difficult to set up distinctive 

 characters by which readily to distinguish one species from 

 another, excepting in those examples which there is no 

 mistaking. A. rubens runs off into several variations; but 

 whether they are really distinct species or mere varieties it is 

 difficult to decide. 



" I may, however, state I have three strongly marked 

 varieties, in addition to what I take to be the typical form, 

 viz. : — 



" 1. Asterias rubens, var. hispida. — A small, squat, neat 

 form, of which I have specimens dredged in deep water off 

 Northumberland and Durham. They appear mature indi- 

 viduals, although they are only about half an inch across. 



"2. A. rubens, var. atlenuata. — A slender smooth form, 

 sparingly furnished with spines, very distinct in character, 

 obtained by dredging in Berwick Bay, 30 to 4/5 fathoms. 



"3. A. rubens, var. gigantea. — A very large coarse species, 

 occasionally brought in by the fishing-lnies from deep water. 

 It sometimes attains the enormous size of 14 inches, Mr. G. S. 

 Brady having a specimen of this size. Those that I have 

 obtained are two to three inches smaller. It is thickly beset 

 with spines ; the pedicellariaj are very numerous. In sub- 

 stance it is rather ' flabby,' and unless care is used when 

 handling it in a living state, its rays are liable to break oft" at 

 their junction with the disc ; at this part the rays are rather 

 restricted." 



On this it may be remarked that a naturalist who has easy 

 access to fresh specimens of what has been called A. hispida 

 would be doing a service if he would determine whether these 

 small squat forms do contain mature ova and spermatozoa. 

 1 have myself been constantly on the look out ibr larger 

 specimens which might be supposed to be the adults of ^. 



32* 



