508 PROF. F. J. BELL ON THE GENUS ASTERIAS. [May 3, 



seas as being the^. muelleri of Sars, and he concludes by directing 

 my attention to a remarkable and rare specimen taken at Seaham. 

 The questions, then, which are proposed to us are : — 



(1) The characters o? A. hispida. 



(2) Is A. muellei-i, Sars, found on our shores ? 



(3) Is A. muelleri really distinct from A. glacialis ? 



(4) Hare representatives of any other species, described or unde- 

 scribed, been found in our seas ? 



(1) The Characters of Pl. hispida. 



With regard to this species, Edward Forbes writes : — " It may 

 easily be passed over as the young of one of the more common 

 species; but it is very distinct." He gives as the specific character, 

 "Rays short, rounded, spinous. Avenues ovate." It is, however, 

 obvious that, without some further qualification, the shortness of 

 tlie rays is a character of no significance whatever ; the rays in 

 young Asterids are always proportionally shorter than in older 

 forms; as Sars remarks, in describing A. muelleri^, " Bei jiingeren 

 sind, wie bei alien Seesternen, die Arme verhaltmassig kiirzer." 



AVhat, therefore, we have to know is whether there is any dif- 

 ference, and, if so, what, between A. hispida and A. riibens in this 

 respect. 



The greater and the lesser radii may, as usual, be distinguished by 

 the symbols R and r ; the measurements are made in millimetres. 



A. rub ens. 



Series a. " Seaham, Mr. Hodge." Breadth of ray. 



i ii=ll-5, ?-=3, or i2 = 3-83r. 3*2 



ii R= 9-5, r=3, or ii = 3-16r. 2-8 



iii ii= 7-0, r = 2, or i?=3-50?-. 2-0 



Series /3. " t A. rubens. St. Magnus Bay, Shetland; deep 

 water." Breadth of ray. 



i 72=11-0. r=4-0, or R=3-6r. 3-0 



ii i?= 9-5, r=3-0, or R = 3-16r. 3-1 



iii R= 8-2, r=2-6, or R=3-15r. 2-5 



iv R= 6-5, r=20, or R=3-25r. 2*0 



A. hispida. 



Series a. " Oban, Mr. D. Robertson." Breadth of ray. 



i R=l9-5, r=8-0, or R=2-437 r. 9-0 



ii R=lb-0. r=6-2, or 2? = 2-419r. 6-2 



iii R=120, r=6-0, or R=2-0 r. 5-0 



iv R = \10, r=4-2, or R=2-6l9r. 5*0 



Series /3. Outer Skerries, Shetland. Breadth of ray. 



i R=\70, ?-=5-0, or i? = 3-4r. 6-0 



ii R=]oo, r=4-5, or J?=3-4r. 45 



iii B = 12-0, r=4-0, or E=3-0r. 4-5 



1 Faun. litt. Norv. p. 56. 



