108 Prof. F. J. Bell on the 
XII.—On the Species of Pseudoboletia. 
By Prof. F. Jerrrey Bex, M.A. 
M. pre Lorton has just added another to the many services he 
has rendered to the students of Echinoderms by the publica- 
tion of the first part of a ‘ Catalogue raisonné des Echino- 
dermes recueillis par M. V. de Robillard 4 Vile Maurice ” *, in 
which the Echinoidea are discussed. Among the forms 
found was the species of Pseudoboletia long since described by 
Michelin as Toxopneustes indianus ; of this a full and elabo- 
rate description is opportunely given, and the concluding 
paragraph of discussion ends with the sentence—‘‘ M. Bell 
(loc. cit.) a pris, je crois, le Pseud. indiana pour le Ps. granu- 
lata et vice versa; le Ps. granulata n’a jamais encore été 
envoyé de Maurice, 4 ma connaissance du moins.” 
It is perfectly true that M. de Loriol’s description of P. 
indiana applies to specimens which have been labelled by 
me P. granulata. 
The first question which arises, on this matter of fact being 
settled, is what kind of proof can one or the other adduce in 
favour of the view which he holds; as M. de Loriol says he 
has a specimen from Réunion which “ correspond trés exacte- 
ment 4 la description de Vindividu type de Michelin, qui pro- 
vient également de la Réunion, et il est identique aux exem- 
plaires de Maurice,” it is clear that M. de Loriol is right, and 
that I am wrong. 
I should not trouble the readers of this Journal with a 
demonstration of M. de Loriol’s exactness (which has been 
proved by works too numerous to stand in need of any testi- 
monial from me), or have thought it necessary to expose in 
such detail the steps by which I convinced myself of having 
been in error, were it not that, on examination of the whole 
question, I found that the more important matters on which 
1 have now to enter could be best introduced in the manner 
here adopted. 
There can be no manner of doubt that there are two species 
now in existence which belong to the genus Pseuwdoboletia ; 
one of these is exactly known from the description and 
figures just published by M. de Loriol—P. indiana. Of this 
species specimens were presented to the British Museum in 
1842, by Lady Frances Cole; and forty years later a speci- 
men, covered with spines, was purchased by the Trustees 
from M. de Robillard; these specimens have been hitherto 
* Mém,. Soe. Phys. Hist. Nat. Genéve, xxviii. no. 8. 
