350 



VERRILL 



The two species of Astropecten are closely allied to Panamic spe- 

 cies. The Orthasterias is allied to O. calif ornica and others from 

 farther north, but it ranges to the Gulf of California. 



This faunal district, as now known, does not show any special 

 peculiarities of its own. It is a meeting-ground, so to speak, between 

 the Panamic and the Californian faunae. Yet the list of species 

 given above is doubtless very incomplete. 



It is notable that, while twelve species and varieties of Asteriinae 

 reach this fauna, only two extend southward to Cape St. Lucas. 

 From thence southward, on the whole extent of the coast to Ecuador, 

 no member of this subfamily is known to occur in shallow water. 



From off Mexico, the Galapagos Islands, and Panama, in moder- 

 ately deep water, Ludwig has described seven species, which he refers 

 to Stolasterias, Sporasterias, and Hydrasterias. One of these appears 

 to belong to Coscinasterias, viz., C. alexandri (Ludwig, as Stolas- 

 terias, p. 221, pi. xxxn, figs. 190-193). It is from the Gulf of 

 Panama, in 95 meters to 384 meters. 



Another, which appears to belong to Stylasterias, viz., S. robusta 

 (Ludwig, as Stolasterias, p. 228), is from off the Galapagos, in 

 704 meters. 



The three species referred to Sporasterias do not seem to belong to 

 that genus as herein restricted. 



5. mariana is from off Las Tres Marias Islands, in 1244 meters; 

 S. cocosana is from 245 meters, off Cocos Island ; 5. galapagensis is 

 from off Chatham Island, in 704 fathoms. 



The dorsal plates and connective ossicles are broad, imbricated, and 

 have a regularly stichasterial arrangement in the last two species, 

 which are otherwise very distinct. , 



S. mariana has five rows of dorsal plates and no visible interactinals. 

 It may belong to Distolasterias. 



Hydrasterias diomedece is from 155 meters and 121 meters, off 

 Panama and Cocos Island. 



None of these species are nearly allied to any of the shallow water 

 species of California. 



The subfamily Asteriinae is again abundantly represented by shal- 

 low-water species on both coasts of southern South America from 

 Chile and northern Patagonia to Cape Horn and the Antarctic 

 Islands. Yet nearly all the species of these regions belong to general 

 not found in the North Pacific and North Atlantic. 



