192 Prof. Agassiz on the Echinodermata. 



and Pharia, Gray ; Linckia, Nardo, Gray, with the subgenera Pha- 

 taria, Gray ; Fromia, Gray (Linckia, Nardo); Gomophia, Gray ; Nar- 

 doa, Gray (Linckia, Nardo) ; Narcissia, Gray ; Nectria, Gray ; Ne- 

 panthia, Gray ; Mithrodia, Gray ; Uniophora, Gray. 



AsTERiNiDyi;, Gray : Palmapes, Linck (Anseropoda, Nardo, Pal- 

 masterias, De Blainv., Asteriscus, Mill, and Tros.) ; Porania, Gray 

 (Goniaster, Forbes) ; Asterina, Nardo (Ctenaster, Ag., Asteriscus, 

 Mul. and Tros., Pentaceros, Linck) ; Partiria, Gray; Socomia, Gray. 



Notwithstanding their multiplicity, the greater part of these 

 divisions appear to me natural, and I think that they should 

 be adopted after a correction of the nomenclature, for many 

 of the generic terms are synonymous with those of MM. M til- 

 ler and Troschel and others, as may be seen from the names 

 which I have added in parenthesis to the names proposed by 

 Mr. Gray. It is much to be regretted that this gentleman 

 should not have been cognisant of the memoir by MM. Miil- 

 ler and Troschel, which has nevertheless six months' priority 

 over his. Mr. Gray regards the Asterice as a distinct class, to 

 which he gives the name Hypostoma ; but I think that their 

 separation from the other Echinodermata should be justified 

 upon anatomical as well as zoological evidence. In fact, the 

 character by which hitherto it has been principally asserted 

 that the Starfishes may be distinguished from the Sea-urchins 

 is fallacious, since most of the Asterice possess an anus, as 

 was first pointed out by M. J. Miiller. 



M. Ch. Desmoulin's researches among the Echinites is a 

 work w'hich should be in the hands of all those who pursue 

 .the natural history of the Echinodermata. Without entering 

 here upon any detailed statement, I shall simply mention 

 that M. Desnioulins does not admit more than seventeen 

 genera in the order of the Echinidce, which are Clypeaster, 

 Scutella, Fibularia, Cassidulus, Galerites, Pyrina, Echinome- 

 tra, Echinus, Echinocidaris, Diadema, Cidaris, Echinoneus, 

 Echinolampas, Nucleolites, Collyrites, Ananchytes and Spa- 

 tangus. Previously to this publication M. Desmoulins had 

 published a descriptive catalogue, w 7 ith two plates, of the 

 living and fossil Stelleridce of the Gironde (Actes de la Soc. 

 Linneenne de Bordeaux, torn. v.). 



Among the works especially deserving notice is the mono- 

 graph upon the Asterice allied to Asterias aurantiaca, which 

 M. Philippi has published in Wiegm. £ Archiv/ 1837, vol. i. 

 p. 193, and the description of a new and most curious living 

 genus of Crinoidece, named Holopus, which M. d'Orbigny 

 has published in Guerin's 'Mag. de Zool/ for 1837*. In a 



* Translated with illustrations in Mag. Nat. Hist., New Series, vol. iv. 

 p. 352.— Ed. 



