24 NATURAL HISTORY BULLETIN 



are most numerous between the lateral and ventral spines. The 

 papules are mostly isolated. 



Taken from a telegraph cable, about 30 miles east of Cape 

 Negro, Brazil, in 62 fathoms. 



The description above is condensed from that of Mr. Rathbun. 



Leptasterias MEXICAN a (Liitk.) Yerrill. 

 Aster acanthion mexicanum Liitken, Vidensk. Meddel., p. 94, 1859. 



Asterias mexicana Verrill, op. cit., p. 344, 1867. 



This was described by Liitken from two small specimens from 

 Vera Cruz. They were evidently young. The larger was 1.5 

 inches in diameter. I am not aware that anyone has obtained 

 additional specimens. 



According to Liitken the rays are five; the upper side has 

 about seven rows of short, obtuse, rough spines surrounded by a 

 dense basal wreath of minor pedicellariae. The papulas stand 

 two or three together. 



The adambulacral plates are one and two to a plate, in pretty 

 regular alternation. They bear pedicellariae at about midheight. 

 They are slightly flattened, slender, and obtuse. The ventral side 

 has two rows of small spines. (Condensed from Liitken.) 



Liitken compared it to L. miilleri, the type of Leptasterias. 

 Although it appears to have the external characteristics of Lep- 

 tasterias, it may be the young of a larger species of Asterias, like 

 A. forhesi. 



There is no reason why A. forhesi should not be carried to 

 Vera Cruz adherent to the bottoms of vessels from our southern 

 ports, even if it does not habitually live on the Mexican coast. 

 Many other creatures are thus carried to distant places and no 

 doubt, in many cases, become naturalized in new homes by this 

 means. I have not seen A, forhesi from the Gulf of Mexico, but 

 should expect to find it on the coast of West Florida and Ala- 

 bama. 



Genus Stephanasterias Verrill, 1871. Type, S. alhula. 

 StepTianasterias Verrill, Bull. Essex Inst., iii, p. 5, 1871; Expl. of Casco 



Bay, Proc. Am. Assoc. Adv. Sci. for 1873, pp. 356, 359, 364, 1874; 



Check List Invert., 1879; Expl. Albatross, 1883, p. 540, 1885. 

 Nanaster Perrier, Exp. Trav. et Talism.,, pp. 129, 131, 133, 1894; Camp. 



Scientif. THirondelle, p. 27, 1896. (Type, S. alhula.) 

 Stichaster (pars) Verrill, 1866, p. 351. Perrier, p. 347, 1875. Sladen, 



p. 432, 1889. 



