348 BULLETIN: MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 



as food for man. Large specimens may be as much as 120 mm. in diameter. 

 The color is more or less uniformly green, though the tips of the spines may be 

 reddish, or, in young specimens, quite red. The range of albus is from Callao to 

 the southern part of Chile. Dr. Coker met with this species at Mollendo, where 

 he says it is " valued as food," and on the rocky shores of Isla Vieja, Indepen- 

 dencia Bay, south of Pisco ; of these latter he says : " The spines are green ; 

 those on the lower part of the sides are reddish ; the corona appearing between 

 the spines, deep red or reddish chestnut. These are the edible ' erizos ' which 

 are so highly esteemed. This form does not seem to be common north of Inde- 

 pendencia. (The forms common at Callao are rarely eaten.)" 



Encope micropora. 



L. Agassiz, 1841. Mon. Scut., p. 50. 



Plate 13, figure 1. 



This is a Panamic species ranging from the Gulf of California (Guaymas) to 

 the Galapagos Islands and Peru. It reaches a large size, individuals occasionally 

 exceeding 150 mm. in length. The color is variable, ranging from brown to gray. 

 Dr. Coker took a number of specimens of this Encope " with dredge and trawl 

 Bay of Sechura west of Matacaballa ; about 5 fathoms in depth. April 8," 

 1907. These specimens are all more or less rubbed, and are of a light purplish 

 gray color. 



Mellita pacifica. 

 A. E. Verrill, 1867. Trans. Conn. Acad., 1, p. 313. 



The type specimen of this interesting form was from Zorritos, Peru, and the 

 species has not been taken elsewhere. The type measured about 55 mm. in 

 length and was a trifle broader. The color of the dried specimen was deep green, 

 but it is quite possible that in life it was red-brown, for the red-brown shades of 

 clypeastroids have the remarkable property of becoming green, especially after 

 death. 



Mellita stokesii. 



Encope stokesii L. Agassiz, 1841. Mon. Scut., p. 59. 

 Mellita stokesii A. Agassiz, 1872. Rev. Ech., pt 1, p. 141. 



Plate 13, figure 3. 



Were it not for the differences shown by the internal structure of the test, I 

 should have no doubt that this is simply the young of Encope micropora, but 

 those differences are so striking it is hard to believe they are due to age only. 

 The smallest Encope before me is so much larger than the largest stokesii that a 

 fair comparison is not possible and the true relationship of the two forms must 

 remain undetermined. The distribution of stokesii is not merely throughout the 



