OCTOBEB 10, 1919] 



SCIENCE 



349 



and that occurred but once. This was at sta- 

 tion 5648 in Buton Strait, Celebes, in water 

 559 fathoms deep, and it is very remarkable 

 that all of the nine species were new to 

 science, three represented new genera, and of 

 only one was there more than a single speci- 

 men! Surely this is one of the most notable 

 dredgings of sea-stars ever made. At two of 

 the Albatross stations, seven species of sea- 

 stars were taken, but these were both in 

 shallow water (9 oj 10 fathoms) in the Tawi 

 Tawi group; in one case, all were representa- 

 tives of previously known species; in the 

 other there were two new species, one repre- 

 senting a remarkable new genus. At each of 

 two stations in the Philippines, 5482 at 67 

 fathoms and 5536 at 279 fathoms, half a dozen 

 species were taken. 



The remainder of the volume is occupied 

 with the detailed accoimt of 182 species and 

 10 subspecies, all but two of which were taken 

 by the Albatross. Only one or two are here 

 described for the first time, but 134 were new 

 when taken and were originally described 

 from this collection. Many of these are 

 notable for structural peculiarities and 18 

 represented new genera, while others made 

 the segregation of 6 additional genera or sub- 

 genera desirable. The method of treatment is 

 admirable; a brief diagnosis of each species is 

 followed by a description, more or less detailed 

 according to the condition of the material 

 and the importance of the species. If young 

 specimens are available, a special paragi-aph 

 is given to them, the features in which they 

 differ from the adult being pointed out. The 

 museum number of the holotype and the ex- 

 act position of the type-locality are then 

 given, followed by a statement of the known 

 distribution and a list of the specimens ex- 

 amined. Last, and oftentimes most, important 

 of all, is a paragraph of " Remarks," in which 

 is discussed the relationships of the form, its 

 diversities and peculiarities, and any nomen- 

 clatural or distributional facts that need 

 elucidation. 



Many of the families and genera are treated 

 in the same thoroughgoing way and in these 

 discussions, Dr. Fisher's exceptional knowl- 

 edge of sea-stars and of the literature con- 



cerning them is well shown. But more than 

 this is revealed — clear thinking, openminded- 

 ness and a perfectly balanced judgment, that 

 are very attractive and most convincing. The 

 writer has no hobbies to ride and no hypothe- 

 ses to defend; he is obviously seeking all the 

 available facts and only the deductions which 

 may reasonably be drawn from them. He is 

 always seeking to throw light on the subject 

 in hand and to unsnarl the tangles due to lack 

 of knowledge or to misinformation. The 

 frequent and carefully detailed keys to species 

 and genera well illustrate this and will prove 

 of constant service to other workers. 



The recognition of subspecies, in the or- 

 nithological sense of forms passing by grada- 

 tion into the typical form but occupying a 

 different geographical area, is something of a 

 novelty in the taxonomy of echinoderms but 

 is of course the natural result of increasing 

 laiowledge. The question which may fairly 

 be raised is whether we have sufficient data 

 and material as yet to warrant their recog- 

 nition. Probably we have in some cases, but 

 in others it were well to be cautious. Thus 

 Fisher recognizes the typical form and three 

 subspecies (using trinomials as in ornithology) 

 of Asterina coronata, of which very few speci- 

 mens are as yet known ; it is quite possible that 

 we are here dealing with a somewhat variable 

 species, and a large amount of material will 

 show that there is no correlation between the 

 diversities and the distribution. 



In typography, arrangement and illustra- 

 tion the volume is very satisfactory. It is too 

 bad that " starfishes" is used in the title when 

 Dr. Fisher is known to be an advocate of 

 " sea-stars " as a substitute for the more 

 familiar word. ISTo doubt the editor con- 

 sidered " starfishes " a more " popular " title 

 but it is so lamentably inaccurate, it is a pity 

 Fisher could not have had his way in the 

 matter. It is a little odd that neither term 

 seems to be used in the text; at any rate, I 

 have found neither; but once the phrase is 

 used, " specimens of Asteroidea " ! There is 

 a good table of contents at the beginning of 

 the volume, and at its end, a very full and 

 useful index. The plates are haM-tones, 

 printed on both sides of the paper, interleaved 



