A REVIEW AND CRITICISM OF SEITARO 
GOTO’S! WORK ON THE DEVELOPMENT 
OF ASTERIAS PALLIDA. 
E. W. MacBRIDE, M.A. 
FELLow oF St. JoHN’s, CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND, PROFESSỌR OF ZOOLOGY, McGILL UNIVERSITY, 
MontTrEAL, P. Q. 
THE study of echinoderm development has till recently 
remained in what may be described as a tantalizing condi- 
tion. The course of the ontogeny in its main outlines has 
been known since the days of Johannes Müller, whose work, 
together with that of Professor Agassiz ('64), may be said to 
have given us a sketch the details of which had to be filled in. 
Leaving out of sight the crinoids, which are separated by a 
deep anatomical gulf from the other echinoderms, we had the 
researches of Ludwig ('82) on the development of Asterina gib- 
bosa, followed by those of Semon on Synapta digitata (7), of 
Bury ('89, '95) on the pelagic larve generally, and of Théel ('94) 
on the development of Echinocyamus pusillus, to mention only 
the most important contributions to our knowledge of the sub- 
ject. The general disappointing feature about the situation 
was that whilst there were plenty of half-worked-out problems 
presented, and suggestive new facts brought to light, there was 
an absence of any attempt to thoroughly and exhaustively ex- 
amine the development of any one form, so that instead of cer- 
tainties we had surmises as to the meaning and fate of larval 
structures. 
This want I endeavored to meet some years ago by a study 
of the development of Asterina gibbosa ('96) from the blastula 
to the young starfish with ovaries already developed, using the 
most refined methods, and having at my disposal an immense 
amount of material. The larva of Asterina gibbosa is, however, 
1 Goto, Seitaro. The Metamorphosis of Asterias pallida, with special reference 
to the fate of the body cavities, Journal of the College of Science, vol. v. Imperial 
University, Tokio. 
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