ZOOLOGY. 
CCXXlll 
Asterias Rubens. 
Faun. Green, no. 362. 
A single specimen was taken at the same time as the preceding species. 
Asterias Violacea. 
Zool. Dan. tab. 46. 
Two specimens were taken in the trawl in from twelve to eighteen fathoms’ 
water on the western coast of Davis’ Strait, in lat. 70° ; they were both six- 
rayed, a variety which does not appear to have fallen under the notice of 
Muller, who mentions from one to five rays only. 
The specific name of Violacea seems particularly inappropriate to a species 
which varies so much in colour as the present ; individuals being found occa- 
sionally red, blue, grey, and even black ; those under description were rather 
red than violet. 
Asterias Polaris. 
A. pentagona, paging, superiore tesselato-granulata, margine articulate spinoso. 
Plate 1, fig. 2, 3. 
A single specimen was taken by a drag-net on the coast of Melville Island ; 
body plane, pentagonal, the sides lunate ; margin obtuse, articulated, and fur- 
nished with a double row of small spines; the articulations in number 150 are 
continued on the inferior surface to the grooves of the feet, the grooves 
being broad, with fleshy pectinate feet; mouth central, simple ; back tes- 
selated with hexagonal superficial granulations, having in the centre a fleshy 
papilla, capable of being protruded more than three-tenths of an inch, but 
when retracted, appearing only as a central spot ; when viewed by a micro- 
scope, the papilla is seen to be furnished with minute and delicate vesicles. 
