Report on the zoological collections made in the Indo-Pacific Ocean ...

124 COLLECTIONS FROM MELANESIA.Perrier, p, 63.2. Asterias polyplax.A small specimen with two long, two short and stout, and fourshorter and more delicate arms.Port Jackson, March 1881.3. Echinaster purpureus.Othilia purpurea, Gray, Ann. 8f Mag. N. H. (1) vi. p. 282.Echinaster fallax, Mull. Sf Trosch. Syst. Asterid. p. 23 ; Perrier, p. 106.While some have six and another five arms, not markedly differingin length, another has one very long arm, with a madreporite oneither side of its base, and four shorter arms, of which one is verymuch shorter than the rest ; it bears, however, indications of injuryand subsequent repair.Port MoUe ; Port Denison ; Thursday Island, 4-6 fms.4. Metrodira suhulata.Gray, Ann. Sf Mag. N. II. (1) vi. p. 282.Plinders, Clairmont ;Alert Island, 7 fms.Pei-rier, p. 137.5. Linckia Isevigata.A dried specimen still retains very well its blue coloration.Clairmont Island.153.6. Linckia nodosa.There is not, I think, any doubt that the four specimens from theArafura Sea (32-36 fms.) and Prince of "Wales Channel (7 fms.)are representatives of this species, of which Prof. Perrier has givenan admirable description ; the specimens, however, on which thatdescription is based bore no indication of any locality.The specimens are very much finer than those measured byM, Perrier, R being equal to 213, 118, and 104 millim., with r 23,18, and 13. The disk with 18 millim. radius has apparentlyreceived some injury ; but it may be that, in this species, thereis a difference in the sexes, and that the specimen in question isin a different condition of generative maturity to the others ; it isimpossible, however, to settle the question, as the example has beendried.