CLARK: BRITTLE-STARS. 317 



defined. Color bright pink in the dry specimen; on the upper side 

 of each arm is a median white stripe bordered by a dull rose-purple 

 stripe of somewhat variable width; the white stripe is occasionally 

 interrupted, and is now and then crossed by a narrow dash of rose- 

 purple; the rose-purple stripes are also occasionally interrupted; 

 under arm-plates prettily marked with pale rose-purple and whitish; 

 near arm-tip the rose-purple occupies the sides of the plate, the whitish 

 forms a median longitudinal line. 



A specimen very similar to the above, but with a somewhat smaller 

 disk and longer arms, and with the colors almost completely faded 

 is M. C. Z. 2,307. It was taken in 1878 by the Blake at station 45, 

 northwest of the Tortugas, in 101 fms. I have no doubt that it is 

 also 0. megalaspis, and it is fair to say therefore that this variety 

 occurs in deep water (50-100 fms.) in the Gulf of Mexico. There 

 are faint indications in M. C. Z. 2,307 that its color-pattern in life, 

 if not its coloration, was similar to that of M. C. Z. 4,223. 



Ophtothrix angulata var. violacea. 



Ophiothrix violacea Miiller and Troschel, 1842. Syst. Ast., p. 115. 



The original description is brief but refers to the white stripe on the 

 arm. Verrill, (1899. Bull. Univ. Iowa, new ser., 1, no. 6, p. 19) states 

 of certain specimens of Ophiothrix angulata — "The rest agree with 

 the variety violacea (M. & Tr.), the back of the arms being irregularly 

 marked and spotted with whitish and dark grayish blue or brown, 

 according to the general color." It is hard to see on what grounds 

 these specimens are referrec' to 0. violacea, for that name must be 

 used, if at all, for specimens, that have the ground-color violet or deep 

 blue and have a distinct white line on the arm. Typical specimens 

 are easily recognized but intergrades with ordinary 0. angulata and 

 with 0. angulata var. poecila are very common, and I believe Verrill's 

 specimens were of the latter sort, though it is quite possible that 

 they were var. poecila. 



Ophiothrix angulata var. phoinissa, var. nov. 



4>olviaaa = deep crimson, in reference to the very dark coloration. 



Holotype — M. C. Z. 4,224 and Paralype, M. C. Z. 4,225. Cuba: 

 Coutoy, on weedy rocks. Wm. Stimpson coll. 



