CLARK: THE STARFISHES OF THE GENUS HELIASTER. 51 



yellowish, or brownish, with pedicels much darker than spines ; madreporite 

 brown. 



Range. — Asuncion Island and Cape St. Lucas, L. C. (U. S. N. M.) ; 

 Margarita Bay, L. C. (Perrier) ; Magdalena Bay, L. C. (Ives); Lequina 

 Bay, L. C. (M. C. Z.)j La Paz, L. C. (Perrier); Altata, Mexico (Liitken); 

 Mazatlan and Acapulco, Mexico (M. C. Z); Panama (M. C. Z.) ; and Pearl 

 Island, Panama (Verrill). — Ives (1889) lists a specimen from Chili, and there 

 is a dried specimen in the collection of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 

 labelled " Chili, Ilassler Expedition." The latter agrees perfectly with the 

 numerous dried specimens from Acapulco, collected by the "Ilassler," and I have 

 no doubt it is one of the same lot, which has received an erroneous label by 

 mistake. It is probable that the Philadelphia specimen, if it is really micro- 

 brachius, is to be accounted for in a similar way. — The range of this species 

 seems to be along the coast of Central America and Mexico between the parallels 

 8° and 27° N. lat., thus nearly coinciding with that of kubiniji, but extending 

 somewhat further south. 



Remarks. — This species is so easily recognized, when adult, that its standing 

 can scarcely be questioned, yet the young are often quite perplexing, for even 

 when 70-80 mm. in diameter, they may have the rays quite long and slender, and 

 free 30-35 per cent of their length. The small, slender, and numerous abactinal 

 spines, however, make even these young ones recognizable. There are usually 35 

 or 36 rays, and I have seen only one specimen with more than 40, though curi- 

 ously enough that one has 44. There are only two specimens before me with less 

 than 30 rays, and of these the one with 27 is not quite full-grown, as R is less 

 than 60 mm. 



Material examined : — 



M. C. Z. collection. 



U. S. N. M. " 

 it Central America or Mexico." " " 



40 specimens. 8 localities. 



Heliaster cumingii (Gray). 



Plate 5, Fig. 1. 



Asterias Cumingii Gray, 1840 

 Asterias solaj-is Carpenter, 1856. ? 

 Heliaster Cumingii Dujardin and Hupe, 1862. 

 Asterias Cummingii Liitken, 1872. 

 Heliaster cumingi Clark, 1902. 



Description. — Rays 32-40, averaging (34 adults) 35.6 ; about 23 (15-30) per cent 

 of ray free. R = 55-90 mm. ; r = 40-73 mm. Breadth of ray at base, 7-12 mm. 



