281 
species. Considering the faet, however, that they are known only 
from very restricted areas very wide apart, we are forced to regard 
the minor, apparently trivial differences to be observed as good 
specific characters, the more so as the species of this group (to 
which belong also L. sarsi and L. africana) are upon the whole 
distinguishable only through such apparently unimportant characters. 
(Cf. W. K. Fisher. Starfishes of the Philippine Seas, p. 168). Not 
having material of the two named species for a direct comparison 
with the species from New Zealand I do not think it advisable to 
State precisely the characters distinguishing the three species, as 
it could hardly be done satisfactorily from the descriptions alone. 
If the said three species are ultimately found to have a wider, 
continuous distribution, I should be inelined to regard them as 
representing only one species. 
7. Pentagonaster pulchellus Cray. 
PI. XII. Figs. 6-10. 
Pentagonaster pulchellus. J. E. Cray. 1840. A Synopsis of the uenera 
and species of the Class Hypostoma (Asterias Linnæus). 
Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. VI. p. 280. 
Stephanaster elegans. Ayres. 1851. Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. History IV. 
p. 118. 
Pentagonaster — J. E. Cray. 1866. Synopsis of the species of 
Starfish in the British Museum, p. 11. T. 8 fig. 3. 
— abnormalis. J. E. Cray. Ibidem, p. 11. T. 8. figs. 1 2. 
— pulchellus. Hutton. 1872. Catalogue Echinod. New Zea¬ 
land, p. 8. 
- _ — Var. B. Hutton. 1872. Ibidem, p. 8. 
_ — E. Perri er. 1875. Revision de la collection 
de Stellérides du Mus. d’hist. nat. Paris. Arch. 
Zool. expér. V. p. 202. 
Ast’ogonium pulchellum. H. Farquhar. 1895. Notes on New Zealand 
Echinoderms. Trans. N. Z. Inst. XXVI. p. 200. 
— sp. H. Farquhar. 1897. A Contribution to the 
History of N. Z. Echinoderms. Journ. Linn. 
Soc. Zool. XXVI. p. 194. 
— pulchellum. H. Farquhar. 1898. On the Echinoderm 
Fauna of N. Zealand. Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. 
Wales. p. 310. 
— abnormale. H. Farquhar. 1898. Ibidem, p. 310. 
