IV. — Revision of certain Genera and Species of Starfishes WITH descriptions OF NEW FORMS. By A. E. VkRRILL. Family GONIASTERID^. Goniastericlce Verrill, Trans. Conn. Acad. Sci., i. p. 343, 1867; Perrier, Revision, Arch. Zool. Exper. et Gen., iv. pp. 281, 283, 289, 291, 1875; op. cit., v., p. 1, 1876. Goniastericlce {pars) Forbes, 1840. Pentaceroticlce (jyars) Gray, p. 275, 1866. Pentagonasteridce Perrier, 1884 ; Sladen, p. 260, 1889. The generic nomenclature in this family has become very much confused for several reasons. The genera themselves are difficult to limit and define, and scarcely any two investigators, in the past, have agreed as to their number or limits. Nor have they agreed as to what characters should be con-sidered as of generic value. This was the case, in a very marked degree, and very unfortunately, Avhen the ancient and comprehensive genus Asterias was first divided into numerous genera by J. E. Gray, in 1840, and by Miiller and Troschel, in 1842, In these two works, issued within a brief period, there was very great diversity, both as to the number of genera and their names. In the genus Astrogonium of M. and Tr. four of Gray's genera were reunited into owe. In Goniodisciis M. and Tr., five of his genera were also reunited. For about half a century most subsequent authors have tried to take an intermediate course, but gradually more and more of Gray's genera" have been adopted, though often with their limits more or less modi-fied. Fortunately Gray assigned definite types to his genera, and in his later works he described and figured many of the species, so that in most cases his groups can be readily understood. Moreover he followed, pretty closely, the generally accepted rules of zoological nomenclature, which has not always been done by later writers. The failure of several writers to follow the ordinary and accepted rules of priority has led to much needless confusion of names. The failure to recognize the priority of Gray's generic names "has been the cause of more confusion than any other one thing, throughout the group of starfishes. The efforts that certain writers have made, from time to time, to restrict or apply certain generic names to species or groups to which they were not originally given, has repeatedly led to confusion and Trans. Conn. Acad., Vol. X. August, 1899. 10
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