118 
Greville^ on Asterolampra. 
easily overlooked. The rays are slender,, and the areolation 
very minute. 
* * Umbilical lines with an angular bend. 
13. Asterolampra elegans, Grev. — Areolated segments 
sharply curved at the base^ more than half the radius; umbilical 
lines radiating from the apex and sides of the median lines, 
normally simple, but sometimes once or even twice forked. 
Diameter -0030" to -0060". (Fig. 16.) 
Asteromphalus elegans, Grev./Mic. Journ., vol. vii, p. 7, PI. 7> fig. 6, 
Wall. Trans. Mic. Soc, vol. viii, p. 46, PI. 2, fig. 10 ? 
Californian Guano. Soundings from the Indian 
Ocean, in 2200 fathoms, made by Captain PuUen. 
My figure formerly published represents a small normal 
example; but the specimens which occur in the Indian 
soundings present so extreme a deviation from the typical 
state, that an additional illustration becomes absolutely 
necessary. In most of these Indian valves there is a disposi- 
tion in the umbilical lines to divide, or even subdivide ; and 
this is done so irregularly that simple lines may be mixed 
with the forked ones. In three specimens now before me, 
the first, with seventeen rays, has three of the lines forked and 
one twice-forked. The second, with twenty rays, has four 
forked and one twice-forked. The third, a magnificent and 
perfect specimen, with twenty-five rays (fig. 16), has seven 
lines forked and one twice-forked ; so that only five of the 
lines remain in their normal condition. A large specimen 
in Mr. Koper^s cabinet, of which he has sent me a drawing, 
exhibits a still more whimsical aberration. It has twenty- 
nine rays, but only ten umbilical lines radiate directly from 
the median lines ; of these, one is divided into six, another 
into seven branches. Four lines only are simple. In the 
sketch of another valve containing twenty-five rays, sent by 
Mr. Norman, six lines are simple. In these anomalous valves 
the angular bend becomes less conspicuous, because the 
ramification generally takes place at one or both angles of the 
bend ; a fact which rather tends to strengthen my remark 
under A. heptactis, that where the angular bend exists, a 
ramulus however fine, or at least a disposition to originate a 
ramulus, may be also presumed to exist. The areolation of 
this species is extremely minute, and the rays are gracefully 
slender. I have some scruples about referring the valve, 
which Dr. Wallich has figured, to this place, without an 
opportunity of tracing its connection. The peculiar-looking 
median lines, robust rays, and apparently rather large areola- 
tion, seem to indicate a difi'erence. 
