444 



ME. W. P. SLIDE^T OT^" THE ASTEROTDEA 



a representative form of the N.- Atlantic A. irregularis type ; and 

 Grihrella densispina I am disposed to consider an independent 

 development from C. sanguinolenta of the N. Atlantic. Of the 

 remaining Starfish, Asteracanthion rubens is the widely spread 

 Atlantic and circumpolar Asteroid ; Astropecten japonicus is con- 

 fined to Japanese waters ; and Astr. polyacanthus has a very exten- 

 sive distribution, extending from the E-ed Sea on the west to the 

 Piji Islands on the east, and reaching northward to Japan — ^^the 

 most important feature which is thus rendered prominent being 

 the presence of northern or representative northern species of 

 Starfish in the Korean seas. 



Turning now to the Echinoidea, it will be found that, of the ten 

 which have been enumerated above, five are additions to the 

 Japanese fauna, viz. Temnopleurus Reynaudi, T. toreumaticus, Sal- 

 macis sulcata, JEchinolampas oviformis, and Scliizasier ventricosus. 

 Of these, Temnopleurus Reynaudi has hitherto been ranked as a 

 more southern form, and having an extension westward as far as 

 Ceylon ; and similarly T. toreumaticus, which has a still greater 

 westerly stretch to the Persian Gulf. Salmacis sulcata is likewise 

 a more southern species, and with a distribution westward as 

 far as the Eed Sea ; JEcJiinola^npas oviformis is quite a western 

 form in relation to Japan ; and Bcliizaster ventricosus occupies a 

 southern area which ranges eastward to the Fiji Islands. Of the 

 remaining five, which are known Japanese forms, two have a very 

 wide distribution, viz. Echinometra lucunter and Echinanthus tes- 

 tudinarius, the former extending from the Eed Sea to Australia 

 and thence eastward to the Society Islands, and the latter occupy- 

 ing nearly the same area, but with a still greater easterly exten- 

 sion, reaching to California ; Echinocardium australe extends south- 

 ward to New Zealand and westward to South Africa, — none of 

 the Ecbinoids above mentioned having a more northerly extension 

 than some portion of the Japan islands. Strong ylocentrotus inter- 

 medins reaches from Seghalion to Australia ; and Temnopleurus 

 Hardwichii is the only one whose limits extend no further south- 

 wards than Japan, whilst it reaches a latitude as far north as 

 ■ Unalaska. 



Erom this conspectus it will be seen that all the Echinoidea, 

 with the exception of a single instance, are those occupying a 

 habitat which has a more southern and, in general, also a more 

 westerly extension than the locality under notice. 



It is especially noteworthy in this collection of specimens from 



