32 STYLASTERIDAE. 



the reefs, though rather rare. Dead specimens were found off Double- 

 Headed Shot Key (Elbow Key) in 315 fathoms, with the preceding 

 species. The association of three allied shoal-water forms transported 

 to this deep-water locality is rather singular. 



Family STYLASTERHXE! Gray. 



Stylasteracciz M.-Edw. & H. (pars). 



This family was first established by Gray (Ann. & Mag. Nat. I list.. 

 Vol. XIX., 1847), for the genus Stylmter alone. M.-Edwanls and Haime 

 made of it a group or subfamily (ai/t/r), and placed it among the Ocu- 

 linidae under the name of Stylasteraceae. They have, however, left 

 out the genus Errina Gray altogether, placed Distickopora among the 

 genera of doubtful position, but included AxoheUa, which is a Madracts. 

 Otherwise the limits of the group are the same which we shall use. 



Professor Verrill first recognized the close affinity of Distichopora, 

 Errina, and Stylaster (Bull. Mus. Comp. Zobl., No. 3, 1864). In his 

 •'Notes on Radiata " (Trans. Conn. Acad., Vol. I., 1870) he adopted a 

 suggestion of mine to make a distinct family of the Stylasteridae, 

 which he places in his suborder of Oculinacea, both of us overlooking 

 the fact that Gray had long before already established it. 



The association of the Stylasteridae with the Oculinidae does not 

 appear natural, and a closer examination of the structure seems to 

 warrant their removal from that vicinity. The caenenchyma is found, 

 on close examination, to be abundantly perforated ; this can be seen 

 more distinctly in Allopora miniata (and best in dead and bleached speci- 

 mens) than any other form that I have examined, but after proper 

 preparation there is no difficulty in recognizing that structure in 

 all the genera. The best way is to prepare a section and brush it 

 over with ink or some other colored liquid, which will fill the fine 

 canals and show them to pervade the whole caenenchyma, anastomos- 

 ing among themselves and communicating with the surface and with 

 the interior of the calicles. 



According to this character we should be warranted in placing the 

 Stylasteridae among the Perforata, were we to follow M. -Edwards 

 and Haime's system implicitly; but this section contains so heteroge- 

 neous an assemblage of families, that it will most certainly have to be 

 dismembered. In another place in this paper reasons will be given 

 for separating the Eupsammidae from the Madreporidae, with which 

 they have been closely connected. It would be perhaps imprudent, 

 without further research, to associate the Stylasteridae with the 



