386 



E. DEICHMANN, I. LIEBERKIND, AND TH. MORTENSEN 



Perrier's description has now been proved deficient as regards this point, 

 his specimens Hkewise having three adambulacral spines on some of the plates, 

 the var. Selkirki can no longer be maintained, the said character being the 

 only — supposed — difference from the typical form. I have had Meissner's 

 types for examination, and thus can definitely state them to be identical with 



the typical form. The figure here given 

 is drawn from one of Meissner's specimens. 

 I beg to express here my indebted- 

 ness to Prof. Hartmeyer for his kindness 

 in sending me for examination the above- 

 namefl type specimens, as also those of 

 Meissner's Asterias fernandensis (see 

 below). 



As to the geographical distribution 

 of Asterina calcarata the following remarks 

 may be made: 



H. L. Clark (12) in his paper on 

 Echinoderms of Peru writes: »Were it not 

 that a variety (selkirki, Meissner 1896) is 

 common at Juan Fernandez, one might be 

 doubtful whether Perrier's specimens 

 really came from Chile, especially as DE 

 ROCHEBRUNE (1881) records calcarata from 

 the Cape Verde Islands. For the present, 

 however, we may retain the species in the 

 Chilean fauna, with the hope that further 

 collecting on the South American coast 

 may settle the doubt concerning it.» — 



This question may, however, now be 

 looked upon as settled; that Asterina cal- 

 carata is found at Chile and Juan Fernan- 

 dez, and that the variety selkirki only is 

 a synonym of Asterina calcarata itself can 

 no longer be doubted. 

 De Rochebrune (6) gives the localities Saint- Vincent, and Sainte-Lucie, 

 without, however, adding any description of his specimens or stating whether 

 they agree with the specimens from Chile or not. It is, therefore, not possible 

 from De Rochebrune's account alone to know for certain if it really was 

 Asterina calcarata. De Rochebrune adds »Mus. Paris», but Dr. Germain 

 has informed me that De Rochebrune's specimens of this species are not to 

 be found in the Museum, and he supposes that probably they have not been 

 correctly determined. These locaUties, accordingly, should be omitted. 



Whether A, calcarata occurs at Cap Verde is still uncertain. Since it 

 has been found at Cape (Koehler 10) there might be some possibility of its 

 occurring also at the Cape Verde Islands; only renewed researches in this 

 place can settle this question. 



^^fyr€^' 



Fig. 2. Part o: ..iii-:ulacral furrow of 

 Asterina calcarata. c. '^ 



