^
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
Biological Society of Washington
VOLUME XXIX
1916
WASHINGTON PRINTED FOR THE SOCIETY
COMMITTEE ON PUBLICATIONS
N. HOLLISTER, Chairman
W. L. McATEE WELL8 W. COOKE
Press of
H. L. & J. B. McQueen, Inc.
Washington, D. C.
OFFICERS AND COUNCIL
OF THE
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
For 1916
(ELECTED DECEMBER 18, 1915)
OFFICERS
President W. P. HAY
Vice-Presidents
L I 3 ft A ^
CM
J. N. ROSE
A. D. HOPKINS
HUGH M. SMITH VERNON BAILEY
Recording Secretary MARCUS W. LYON, Jr.
Corresponding Secretary W. L. McATEE
Treasurer WELLS W. COOKE*
COUNCIL
PAUL BARTSCH+ FREDERICK V. COVILLEt WILLIAM H. DALLt B. W. EVERMANNt J. W. GIDLEY N. HOLLISTER L. O. HOWARD! FRANK H. KNOWLTONt
F. A. LUCASt EDGAR A. MEARNS C. HART MERRIAMt E. W. NELSONt T. S. PALMERt WILLIAM PALMER L. STEJNEGERt ALEX. WETMORE
DAVID WHITEt
Alex. Wetmore Lewis Radcliffe
W. L. McAtee
STANDING COMMITTEES— 1916
Committee on Communications William Palmer, Chairman
H. S. Barber
Committee on Publications N. Hollister, Chairman
J. W. GiDLEY
W. R. Maxon
Wells W. Cooke
* Died March 30, after which the duties of Treasurer were performed by Dr. Ned Dearborn.
t Ex-Presidents of the Society.
(iii)
EX-PRESIDENTS
OF THE
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
*Theodore N. Gill, 1881, 1882 ♦Charles A. White, 1883, 1884 *G. Brown Goodk, 1885, 1886
William H. Dall, 1887, 1888 *Lester F. Ward, 1889, 1890
C. Hart Merriam, 1891, 1892 *C. V. Riley, 1893, 1894 *Geo. M. Sternberg, 1895, 1896
L. O. Howard, 1897, 1898
Frederick V. Coville, 1899, 1900
F. A. Lucas, 1901, 1902
B. W. EvERMANN, 1903, 1904
F. H. Knowlton, 1905, 1906
L. Stejneger, 1907, 1908
T. S. Palmer, 1909, 1910
David White, 1911
E. W. Nelson, 1912, 1913
Paul Bartsch, 1914, 1915
* Deceased.
(iv)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Officers and Committees for 1916 iii
Proceedings for 1916 ix-xiv
Notes on the Systematic Position of Certain Genera and Higher
Groups of Starfishes, by Walter K. Fisher 1-6
Prodome of a Revision of the Chrysodomoid Whelks of the Boreal
and Arctic Regions, by William H. Dall 7-8
New Species of Opuntia, by David Griffiths 9-16
Description of a New Hazel Grouse from Manchuria, by J. H.
Riley 17-18
A New Anolis from Cuba, by T. Barbour and C. T. Ramsden . 19-20 Aplodontia humboldtiana, a New Mountain Beaver from the
Humboldt Bay District, California, by Walter P. Taylor . . . 21-24 Description of a New Cisco from Lake Erie, byTarleton H. Bean 25-26
New East Indian Starfishes, by Walter K. Fisher 27-36
A New Bat from Porto Rico, by Hartley H. T. Jackson .... 37-38 A List of the Fishes of the Seneca Creek, Montgomery County,
Maryland, Region, by Lewis Radclifie and W. W. Welsh . . 39-46
General Notes 47-50
Note on the Indigenous Rodent of Santo Domingo, by Gerrit S. Miller, Jr., 47; Remains of Two Species of Caprotnys from Ancient Burial Sites in Jamaica, by Gerrit S. Miller, Jr., 48; The First New Zealand Crinoid, by Austin H. Clark, 48; Identification of a Supposedly Anomalous Echinoderm, by Austin H. Clark, 49-50. Six New Starfishes from the Gulf of California and Adjacent
Waters, by Austin H. Clark ' 51-62
The Generic Status of Chrysanthrax Osten Sacken, by J. R.
Malloch 63-70
Description of a New Subspecies of the American Least Tern, by
Edgar A. Mearns , 71-72
Two New Salamanders of the Genus Desmognathus, by E. R.
Dunn 73-76
Notes on Qiiamasia with a description of a New Species, by
C. V. Piper . 77-82
Description of a New Pine Mouse from Florida, by Arthur H.
Howell 83-84
General Notes 85-86
New Generic Name for a Tree-toad from New Guinea, by Leon- hard Stejneger, 85; Notes on Amphisbasnian Nomenclature, by Leonhard Stejneger, 85; A Second Record of Nyctinomus depressus for Iowa, by Ira N. Gabrielson, 86; A Change of Name for an Arizona Mistletoe, by Paul C. Standley, 86. Description of a New Eublepharid Lizard from Costa Rica, by G. K. Noble 87-88
(v)
A^i^"/-
vi Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
Dragon-flies from the English Oligocene, by T. D. A. Cockerell
and Hazel Andrews 89-92
A New Tantilla from Mexico, by Thomas Barbour 93-94
Preliminary Diagnoses of Fifteen Apparently New Neotropical
Birds, by W. E. Clyde Todd 95-98
New Plants from Oregon, by C. V. Piper 99-102
Two New Ralliformes from Tropical America, by J. H. Riley . 103-104 Three Interesting Additions to the Crinoid Fauna of Sagami Bay
and Suruga Gulf, Japan, by Austin H. Clark 105-108
Descriptions of New Thysanoptera, by J. Douglas Hood .... 109-124
General Notes 125-128
Notes on the Genera Isothrix "Wagner and Phyllomys Lund, by E. A. Goldman, 125-126; The Generic Names Epimys and Rallus, by N. Hollister, 126; Preoccupied Names in the Genus Andrena, by Henry L. Viereck, 127; The Status of Sigmodon- tomys alfari Allen and Oryzomys ochraceus Allen, by E. A. Goldman, 127; Note on the Name Corynorhinus megalotis, by Oldfield Thomas, 127 ; Note on some Foreign Grasses, by A. 8. Hitchcock, 128. Ovis sheldoni, a New Mountain Sheep from Sierra del Rosario,
Sonora, Mexico, by C. Hart Merriam 129-132
Nineteen Apparently New Grizzly and Brown Bears from West- ern America, by C. Hart Merriam 133-154
A New Vesper Rat from Nicaragua, by E. A. Goldman .... 165-156 Descriptions of Three New Species of Amphipods from Southern
California, by C. R. Shoemaker 157-160
A New Mosquito from the Eastern United States, by Frederick
Knab 161-164
One New Genus and Five New Species of Ichneumon-flies, by
Henry L. Viereck 165-172
District of Columbia Diptera: Syrphidse, by Nathan Banks, C. T.
Green, W. L. McAtee, and R. C. Shannon 173-204
General Notes 205-208
The Genotypes of Echimys and Loncherea, by J. A. Allen, 205- 206; The Type Species of Rattus, by N. Hollister, 206-207. Two New Mammals from Sumatra, by Marcus W. Lyon, Jr. . . 209-212 The California Lowland Mink a Distinct Race, by Joseph Grinnell 213-214 Additional Notes on West Indian Reptiles and Amphibians, by
Thomas Barbour ... 215-220
Ampliibians and Reptiles from Tobago, by T. Barbour 221-224
A New Brittle-star of the Genus Ophiomitra from Southern
Japan, by Austin H. Clark 225-226
A New Lizard of the Genus Sceloporus from Texas, by Leonhard
Stejneger 227-230
Index 231-236
Table of Contents.
Vll
PLATES.
I. Facing p. 70. Diptera of the Genera Anastocchus , Hyalanthrax,
and Chrysanthrax.
II. Facing p. 90. Fossil Dragon-flies from the EngHsh OHgocene.
III. Facing p. 124. Thysanoptera of the Genera Heterothrips and
Odontothrips .
The Committee on Pubhcations declares that each paper of this volume was distributed on the date indicated on its initial page. The index, title page, and minutes of meetings for 1916 (pp. i-xiv; 231-236) were issued on February 21, 1917.
Vol. XXIX, pp. ix-xiv
PROCEEDINGS
OK THK
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
PROCEEDINGS. s^
The Society meets in the Assembly Hall of the Cosmos Club on alternate Saturdays at 8 p. m.
January 15, 1916— 548th Meeting.*
President \V. P. Hay in the chair and 40 persons present. Mr. Wm. Palmer exhibited a specimen of seahorse and the collector's sketch of a pipefish.
The regular program consisted of a single paper, as follows: " Notes on Labrador Birds " ; VV. W. Cooke.
January 29, 1916— 549th Meeting.-f
President Hay in the chair and 30 persons present.
Dr. L. 0. Howard spoke of some of the published anecdotes regarding the entomologist General Dejean ; Doctor Howard also exhibited a photographic lantern slide of Orsini's statue, Proximus Tuus, representing a malarial stricken Italian peasant; also a group of healthy children on the formerly malaria-infested Roman Campagna.
Dr. H. M. Smith called attention to the successful introduc- tion of the tilefish into the markets, restaurants and homes of the United States.
Mr. Wm. Palmer exhibited several bones of extinct cetaceans.
The regular program consisted of a single paper as follows :
* ' Fur Farming in Alaska ' ' ; Ned Dearborn .
♦Abstracts of papers in Journ. Washington Acad. Sci., Vol. 6, p. 104, February 19. 1916; and in Science, N. S., Vol. 43, p. 401. March 17. 1916.
t Abstracts in Science, N. S.,Vol. 43, pp. 401-402, March 17,1916; and in Journ. Wash- ington Acad. Sci., Vol. 6, p. 159, March 19,. 1916.
(iXy
X Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
February 12, 1916— 550th Meeting.*
President Hay in the chair and 50 persons present.
Dr. L. O. Howard called attention to the work done by Dr. W. V. King in demonstrating that Anopheles punctipennis was a carrier of both tertian and estivo-autumnal malaria parasites and exhibited lantern slides of this mosquito and photomicro- graphs of the stages of the malaria organism in this species of mosquito.
W. L. McAtee gave recent observations on the vegetation in Virginia south of Washington.
The regular program consisted of two communications, as follows :
*' Nepigon " ; Henry Talbott.
' 'Game and Other Mammals of the Yellowstone Park Region" ; Vernon Bailey.
February 26, 1916— 551st Meeting. t
President Hay in the chair and 50 persons present.
The regular program consisted of two communications, as follows :
"An Early Seventeenth Century Mammalogist "; D. E. Lantz.
"A Talk on the Extinct Animal Life of North America " ; J. W. Gidley.
March 11, 1916— 552d Meeting.^
President Hay in the chair and 28 persons present.
Dr. R. W. Shufeldt exhibited lantern slide views of aquatic and terrestrial vertebrates of the District of Columbia and vicinity.
Mr. Wm. Palmer exhibited the bones of a hitherto unknown cetacean .
The regular program consisted of two communications, as follows :
" Hemolysis and Complement Fixation " ; M. W. Lyon, Jr.
"A Study of Malarial Mosquitoes in their Relation to Agri- culture " ; D. L. Van Dine.
•Abstracts in Journ. Washington Acad. Sci., Vol. 6, p. 160, March 19, 1916; and in Science, N. S., Vol. 43. p. 438. March 24, 1916.
t Abstracts in Science, N. S., Vol. 43, p. 474, March 31. 1916; and in Journ. Washing- ton Acad. Sci., Vol. 6, p. 228, April 19, 1916.
X Abstracts in Science, N. S., Vol. 43, pp. 581-582, April 21, 1916; and in Journ. Wash- ington Acad. Sci., Vol. 6, pp. 256-258, May 4, 1916.
Proceedings. xi
March 25, 1916— 553d Meeting.*
President Hay in the chair and 40 persons present.
Gen. T. E. Wilcox exhibited lantern slide views of the coun- try along the Mexican border of the United States.
Mr. A. A. Doolittle exhibited a specimen of Amhystoma punc- tatum from the District of Columbia.
Dr. O. P. Hay exhibited a mutilated braincase of an elk and a skull of an extinct horse.
President W. P. Hay exhibited lantern slides of aquatic ani- mals in the vicinity of Beaufort, North Carolina.
Medical Inspector Ames asked for positive knowledge as to the ability of camels to swim, and as to a South American ani- mal with dorsally placed mammse.
Dr. M. \V. Lyon, .Jr., exhibited a microscopic preparation of a living embryo of Filaria bancrofti.
The regular program consisted of three communications, as follows :
" Notes on the Growth of the Loggerhead Turtle"; W. P.
Hay.
" The Restoration of the Dinosaur, Podokesaurus holyokensis " ;
R. W. Shufeldt.
"A Biological and Fish Cultural Experiment Station"; R. E. Coker.
April 8, 1916— 554th Meeting.f
President Hay in the chair and 65 persons present.
Dr. R. W. Shufeldt exhibited specimens of a Japanese sala- mander, Diemictylus pyrrhogaster .
Dr. Paul Bartsch called attention to the introduction of the European agate snail, Rumina decollata, and to the publication by J. B. Henderson of "The Cruise of the Tomas Barrera.^'
Dr. M. W. Lyon, Jr., remarked on the history of the Filaria hancrofti embryos exhibited at the 553d meeting.
Mr. F. Knab discussed the mosquito host of Filaria hancrofti.
The regular program consisted of a single paper, as follows :
*' Hunting in the Peruvian Andes "; Edmund Heller.
•Abstracts in Journ. Washington .\cad. Sci., Vol. 6, pp. 258-259, May 4, 1916; and in Science, N. S., Vol. 43, pp. 761-762. May 26, 1916.
+ Abstracts in Journ. Washington Acad. Sci., Vol. 6, p. 311. May 19, 1916; and in Science, N. S., Vol. 43, p. 834, June 9, 1916.
xii Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
April 22, 1916— 555th Meeting.*
President Hay in the chair and 24 persons present.
Dr. Howard E. Ames commented on a South American mam- mal i^Myocastor coypii) having mammae on the dorsal surface of the body and answered the previous question as to the ability of camels to swim in the affirmative.
Dr. H. F. Blodgett discussed the embryology of the duck weed Lemna, exhibited seeds and showed diagrams.
The regular program consisted of two communications, as follows :
Native Plants as Indicators of the Agricultural Value of Land"; T. H. Kearney.
"Comparative Study of Certain Cranial Sutures in the Pri- mates"; R. W. Shufeldt.
May 6, 1916— 556th Meeting.f
President Hay in the chair and 45 persons present.
The regular program consisted of three communications, as follows :
" Longevity of Bacteria "; M. W. Lyon, Jr.
" The Amphisbsenoid Lizards and their Geographic Distribu- tion " ; Dr. L. Stejneger.
' ' Sketch of the Natural History of the District of Columbia ' ' ; W. L. McAtee.
May 20, 1916— 557th Meeting.!
President Hay in the chair and 30 persons present. Dr. Howard E. Ames exhibited photographs of a female coypu. The regular program consisted of three papers, as follows : " Some Fungi that Kill Insects " ; A. T. Speare. Possible use of Lachnosterna larvae as a Food Supply ' ' ; L. O. Howard.
"Agriculture in Pre-Columbian America " ; W. E. Safford.
♦Abstracts in Journ. Washington Acad. Sci.. Vol. 0, pp. 3C2-364, June 4, 1916; and in Science, N. S., Vol. 43, pp. 941-942, June 30, 1916.
t Abstracts in Journ. Washington Acad. Sci., Vol. 6, pp. 406-407. June 10, 1916; and in Science, N. S., Vol. 43, p. 942, June 30, 1916.
1 Abstracts in Science, N. S., Vol. 44, pp. 3.^36, July 7, 1916; and in Journ. Washing- ton Acad. Sci., Vol. 6, pp. 519-520, August 19, 1916.
Proceedings. xiii
October 21, 1916— 558th Meeting.*
President Hay in the chair and 50 persons present.
Mr. A. L. Quaintance called attention to a new peach pest, giving lantern slide views of the insect and its work.
Dr. C. W. Stiles commented on zoological nomenclature, also on recent cases in which trichina had figured in lawsuits:
Dr. L. O. Howard cited an instance in which a cockroach was figuring in a lawsuit.
The regular program consisted of a single paper, as follows:
" Mollusk Collecting in the Philippines " ; Paul Bartsch.
November 4, 1916— 559th Meeting.!
President Hay in the chair and 60 persons present.
Dr. R. W. Shufeldt exhibited a specimen of Japanese giant salamander.
The regular program consisted of four papers, as follows:
"A Review of Recent Work on the House-fly"; R. H. Hutchison .
"Recent Spread of the Cotton Boll Weevil"; W. Dwight Pierce.
' ' Remarks on Entomological Inspection and Disinfection of Products offered for Entry into the United States"; E. R. Sasscer.
"An Outline of the Glow-worms of the American Family Phengodidse " ; H. S. Barber.
November 18, 1916 — 560th Meeting. +
President Hay in the chair and 86 persons present.
Dr. O. P. Hay exhibited a cervical vertebra of an extinct Florida deer.
Dr. Paul Bartsch called attention to a hybrid duck seen in the markets.
The regular program consisted of two communications, as follows:
" Forests of Panama"; H. Pittier.
"Scientific Photography in the Study of Insects"; J. H. Paine.
•Abstracts in Science, N. S., Vol. 44, pp. 896-897, December 22, 1916. t Abstracts in Science, N. S.. Vol. 44, pp. 897-898, December 22, 1916. X Abstracts in Science, N. S., Vol. 4.5, p. 72, January 19, 1917.
xiv Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
December 2, 1916— 561st Meeting.*
President Hay in the chair and 50 persons present. The regular program consisted of three communications, as follows :
" The Discovery of an Interesting New Tardigrade "; W. P. Hay.
Exhibition of Venezuelan Plants and Fruits "; J. N. Rose. Poisonous Snakes "; M. W. Lyon, Jr.
( <
December 16, 1916 — 562d Meeting. THIRTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING.
President Hay in the chair and 23 persons present.
The annual reports of the officers and committees were re- ceived .
The following officers were elected for the year 1917 :
President: W. P. Hay.
Vice-Presidents: J. N. Rose, A. D. Hopkins, Hugh M. Smith, Vernon Bailey.
Recording Secretary : M. W, Lyon, Jr.
Corresponding Secretary : W. L. McAtee.
Treasurer : Ned Dearborn.
Members of Council : N. Hollister, J. W. Gidley, William Palmer, Alex. Wetmore, E. A. Goldman.
President Hay was selected to represent the Society as a Vice- President of the Washington Academy of Sciences.
Ex-President Evermann gave an illustrated lecture on the Museum of the California Academy of Science.
The following Committee on Publications has been appointed for 1917 : C. W. Richmond, Chairman ; J. H. Riley, W. L. McAtee, N. Dearborn.
•Abstracts in Journ. Washington Acad. Sci., Vol. 7. pp. 4.5-46, January 19. 1917.
Vol. XXIX, pp. 1-6 January 25, 1916
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
rt-'
NOTES ON THE SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF CERTAIN GENERA AND HIGHER GROUPS OF STARFISHES.
BY WALTER K. FISHER.
The Goniopectinid^. — In "Asteroidea of the North Pacific and adjacent Waters"* the family Goniopectinidae, proposed by Professor A. E. Verrill, was said to differ from the family Porcellanasteridse in having double ampullse connected with the tube-feet (p. 19), and in having an intestine and intestinal coecum. The component genera of the Goniopectinidee, Gonio- pecten and Prionaster, bear the closest resemblance to Ctenodiscus, although the rays of the latter are short while in the Goniopec- tinidse they are long and slender. This resemblance results from the similar characteristic biserial arrangement of the skin- covered actinal plates with the intervening fasciolar channels, the similar structure of the marginals, between which are cribriform organs, and the similar form and armature of the adambulacral and mouth plates. Recently Mr. A. H. Clark found, in a specimen of Prionaster elegans Verrill, single am- pullae, thus breaking down one of the principal differences between Ctenodiscus and the Goniopectinidee. I have again examined the ampulla? in a very large Prionaster megaloplaz Fisher, and in Goniopecten asiaticus Fisher, and have also verified the structure of these organs, as described, in Goniopecten dem- onstrans Perrier. All of these have single ampullae, what I formerly regarded as the lower lobe of the ampulla, or as a second ampulla, being a swelling probably due to the extreme contraction of the muscular vescicles. If the swelling has any significance at all, it is the merest rudiment of a ventral lobe,
• Bulletin 76, U. S. National Museum, 1911, part 1.
1— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XXIX, 1916. (1)
2 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
and the ampullae are to be regarded as single. This fact seems to make it advisable to unite the three genera in a single family which would be separated from the Porcellanasteridse proper by the presence of cribriform organs between all the marginals, by the actinal fascioles, and by the presence of superambulacral plates. Although an apical pore may be present in Ctenodiscus, I have also dissected specimens in which I could find no trace of an opening, nor of a tubular connection between the stomach and the *' epiproctal cone." In the middle of the dorsal side of the stomach there is a roundish lobe of small size which may represent the degenerated rudiment of a coecum. Prionaster elegans, on the other hand, has a fairly large, butterfly-shaped coecum, connected with the apical pore by a definite tubule. P. megaloplax has a conspicuous ' ' anal ' ' aperture. This difference between Prionaster and Ctenodiscus must be weighed against the important common characters mentioned above, I would sug- gest that the genera be rearranged as follows :
Family Qoniopectinids.
Characters. — Specialized fascioles or cribriform organs between all the marginal plates; actinal plates in double transverse series, there being between every pair a specialized fasciolar channel, roofed by webbed spinelets, leading from the marginal fascioles to the furrow ; ampullae single; superambulacral plates present ; abactinal skeleton astropectinoid.
Subfamily Ctenodiscinse.
Characters. — Marginal cribriform organs consisting of superimposed transverse webbed combs of spinlets; intestinal ccecum obsolete ; no in- testine.
Included Genera. — Ctenodiscus Miiller and Troschel; ? Pectinidiscus Ludwig.*
Subfamily Goniopectininse.
Characters. — Marginal cribriform organs consisting of discrete spinelets covered by a single webbed series on the transverse margin of the plate ; well developed intestinal coecum, intestine, and apical pore.
Included Genera. — Goniopecten Perrier and Prionaster Verrill.
Craspidaster. — Craspidaster hesperus (Miiller and Troschel), which resembles the Goniopectinidse in having a single series of webbed peripheral spinelets on the marginal and actinal plates, differs in lacking the characteristic double serial arrange-
* Pectinidiscus has not as yet been fully described.
Fisher — Notes on the Systematic Position of Starfishes. 8
ment of the actinal plates (these being essentially astropectinoid in disposition), and in having patently double ampullse. It is best considered as representing a separate subfamily of the Astro- pectinidse, the Craspidasterinae (new name).
MiMASTER AND Radiaster. — In respect to its systematic posi- tion Mimaster Sladen has been a rather restless genus. Sladen recognized its curious combination of apparently incompatible characters and made it the type of a subfamily of the Penta- gonasteridse. It has been variously regarded as belonging to the Archasteridae (Perrier, 1894), Plutonasteridse (Verrill, 1899), and Goniasteridas (Fisher, 1911), until recently it was dignified by being raised to family rank (Verrill, 1914). Pro- fessor Verrill 's disposition seems to be the best way out of the difficulty.
Since the publication of the "Asteroidea of the North Pacific" I have had the opportunity of examining two true Mimasters, M. tizardi Sladen, and M. notabilus Fisher, as well as the M. cognatus of Sladen, which appears to be generically distinct.
The abactinal skeleton of Mimaster is strongly astropectinoid, the plates being typical penicillate paxillae, but the marginals, while perhaps neutral, remind one strongly of the marginals of Cycethra, a resemblance heightened by the actinal and adambu- lacral armature, which is decidedly ganeriid. By having defi- nite sucking disks on the tube feet Mimaster is removed from proximity to Leptychaster, an association suggested by the dorsal surface, including the marginals, while it can not be placed in the Ganeriidse because it possesses superambulacral plates and lacks the heavily calcified internal interbrachial pillar, the reticulated, imbricated, abactinal skeleton, and the asterinoid abactinal armature of Cycethra and Ganeria.
In Mimaster the membranous interradial septum forms a com- plete partition from the side wall of the disk to a free margin close against the stomach; but in Cycethra and in Ganeria (as in Solaster and in Asterina) there is a rigid pillar running from above the mouth plates to the abactinal surface, the coelom being undivided between this pillar and the margin (an incom- plete calcified septum).
In this connection I would like to call attention to the resem- blance between Ganeria and the Solasteridse, recently suggested
4 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
in conversation, by Mr. A. H. Clark. The marginal plates of Ganeria falklandica are essentially like those of Solaster, and in the adambulacral armature we find a very generalized form of the peculiar pectinate type of the Solasteridffi. The form and armature of the mouth plates, the actinal intermediate plates, and even the adambulacral plates can, however, be more nearly matched in the Asterinidse. The abactinal skeleton, though of on open reticulate form, especially on the disk, is more nearly like that of the Asterinidae than like that of the Solasteridse.
While perhaps in some way related to the Ganeriidse, I think Mimaster is well within the Phanerozonia. Gephyreaster, which I formerly associated with it in the Mimasterinse, is probably more nearly related to Pseudarchaster . Unless its resemblance to Mimaster is only superficial, it may constitute an annectant group.
The purely nomenclatorial side of the matter is complicated by Radiaster elegans Perrier. Through the kindness of Dr. H. L. Clark I recently examined the type (unfortunately dried) in the Museum of Comparative Zoology (No. 909, Dominica, West Indies, 982 fathoms). From every outward indication this species is a typical Mimaster. Radiaster* has one year priority. The family and its two genera may be summarized as follows:
Radiasteridce, new name.
Mimasteridae Verrill, Monograph of the Shallow- Water Starfishes of the North Pacific Coast, 1914, p. 282.
Characters. — Phanerozonia with small, subeqnal, snbpaxiUiform mar- ginals, resembling the Astropectinidfe abactinally and the Ganeriidae actinally, but with sucking disks on tlie tube feet and complete mem- braneous interbrachial septa, and superambulacral plates; abactinal skeleton consisting of penicillate, usually independent, paxillae; actinal plates imbricated in transverse series, tabulate, with a coordinated tuft of spinelets ; adambulacral armature a coordinated tuft of spinelets increasing in length toward the two or three almost undifferentiated furrow spinelets ; first adambulacral somewhat compressed; mouth plates rather astro- pectinoid, with a straight marginal series of spines and without an un- paired median spine at the inner angle ; madreporic body covered with paxillae springing from its surface.
Synopsis of the Component Genera.
1. Gonads confined to the disk and consisting of several tufts springing
from a common point close to the interbrachial septum ; hepatic
• Radiaster Perrier, Bulletin Museum Comparative Zoology. Vol. 9, June, 1881 p. 17. Mimaster Sladen, Proc. Royal Soc. Edinburgh, Vol. 11, 1882, p. 579.
Fisher — Notes on the Systematic Position of Starfishes. 5
cceca with long subdivisions, so that eacli ray appears to have from six to ten separate ccBca of unequal length ; tube feet with well- developed sucking disks; lateral abactinal plates not cruciform nor regularly imbricated
Radiaster [Radiaster elegans Perrier, R. tizardi (Sladen) and R. notabilis (Fisher)].
2. Gonads consisting of numerous tufts extending in a radial series near the superomarginal plates for over half the length of the ray; hepatic coeca two, not appearing multiple on account of long sub- divisions as in the preceding; tube feet with very small sucking disks; lateral abactinal plates distinctly four-lobed, regularly imbricated
Mimastrella gen. nov. [Genotype Mimastrella cognata =
Mimaster cognatus Sladen].*
SoLASTER AND Crossaster. — Tliese two genera have been united by most recent writers,! although in practice it is not very difficult to recognize them. Since new species of the Crossaster type are continually being described, it is becoming more and more desirable to keep them separate. A good differential character is the presence in Crossaster of a complete membraneous interbrachial septum between the internal inter- radial calcareous dorsoventral pillar and the margin. The pillar arises from the mouth plates and passes upward, its point of union with the abactinal skeleton being usually marked by a smooth spineless area. In Crossaster papposus between this calcified buttress and the margin there is a definite septum separating the gonads of adjacent rays, while in Solaster endeca, S. borealis and S. abyssorum the pillar is present, but not the membraneous septum; as a result the gonads of adjacent rays are not separated, and the ccelom is continuous. My recently described Solaster scotophilus has a. complete membraneous septum and the outward habit of Crossaster papposus . It must therefore be classified as a Crossaster.
' Mimaster can not be used for this group because when described the genus was monotypic. The genotype, M. tizardi, being congeneric with Radiaster elegans, the name Mimaster becomes strictly a synonym of Radiaster.
+ For some of the reasons for uniting them see "Asteroidea of the North Pacific," p. 329.
Vol. XXIX, pp. 7-8 January 25, 1916
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
PRODROME OF A REVISION OF THE CHRYSODOMOID WHELKS OF THE BOREAL AND ARCTIC REGIONS.
BY WILLIAM H. DALL.
The following revision of the boreal and arctic Chrysodomoid whelks results from a study of the collection from the north Pacific now contained in the National Museum and brought together from many sources.
The full report on the group will be more or less delayed, but will contain the data upon which this revision is founded, in- cluding new anatomical and other details.
Family BUCCINID.E. Genus Chrysodomus Swainson, LS-10.
Type Murex antiqutis Gmelin. Britain. Section Sulcosipho Dall, nov.
Type Chrysodomus tabulatus Baird. Puget Sound. Subgenus Barbitonia Dall, nov.
Type Fusus arthriticus Bernardi. Japan. Genus Searlesia Harmer, 1914.
T^pe Trophon costifer S. ^yood. British Crag. (Recent analogue Buccinum dirum Reeve. Puget Sound.) Genus Ecphora Conrad, 1843.
Type Fusus quadricostatus Say. Miocene, Maryland. ?Genus Stenomphalus Sandberger, 1853.
Type Fusus cancellatus (Thomae) Sandberger. German Miocene. Genua Colus (Bolten, 1798) Dall, restr. 1906.
Type Murex islandicus Gmelin. Iceland. Section Latisipho Dall, nov.
Type Chrysodomus hypolispus Dall. Bering Sea.
2— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash.. Vol. XXIX. 1916. l7)
8 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
Subp;enus Anomalosipho Dautzenberg and Fischer, 1912.
Type Colus dautzenbergi Dall, (=Sipho verkruzeni D. & F. 1912, not of Kol>elt, 1876). Genus Siphonorbis Morch, 1869.
Type Siphonorbis ebur Morch. Greenland. Genus Kryptos Jeffreys, 1896.
Type Kryptos elegans Jeffreys. N. E. Atlantic, abyssal. Genus Plicifusus Dall, 1902.
( Parasipho Dautzenberg and Fischer, 1912. ) Type Fusus kroyeri Moller. Greenland. Subgenus Retifusus Dall, nov.
Type Tritonium jessoense Schrenck, 1867. Japan. Section Latifusus Dall, nov.
Type Chrysoddmus griseus Dall. California, abyssal. Section Microfusus Dall, nov.
Type Chrysodomus acutispiratus Sowerby. Japan. Section Helicofusus Dall, nov.
Type Chrysodomus laticaudatus Dall. Bering Sea. Genus Exilia Conrad, 1860.
Type Exilia pergracilis Conrad. Eocene. (Recent ana- logue Chrysodomus kelseyi Dall. San Diego, Cali- fornia. ) Genus Volutopsius Morch, 1857.
Type Fusus largillierti Petit. Newfoundland Banks. Genus Pyrolofusus (Beck) Morch, 1857.
Type Fusus deformis Reeve. Arctic seas. Genus Beringius Dall, 1879.
Type Chrysodomus crebricostatus Dall. Kadiak, Alaska. Genus Liomesus Stimpson, 1865.
(Buccinopsis Jeffreys, 1867, not Conrad, 1857.) Type Buccimim dalei J. Sowerby. British Crag. G«iuis Ancistrolepis Dall, 1894.
Type Chrysodomus eucosmius Dall. Bering Sea. Section Japelion Dall, nov.
Type Buccinum hirasei Pilsbry. Japan. ?Genus Sulcosinus Dall, 1894.
Type Buccinum f taphrium Dall. Bering Sea.
I refer Turrisipho Dautzenberg and Fischer, to Siphonorbis; Jumala and Ukko Friele, to Beringius; Neptunea to Chrysodomus; Tritonofusus to the prior Colus, with Sipho Morch not Brown, Neptunella and Sipho- nella. The entire group of Fusinus is separated from Colus by its nuclear characters.
Vol. XXIX, pp. 9-16 January 25, 1916
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
NEW SPECIES OF OPUNTIA. BY DAVID GRIFFITHS.
This seventh * installment of formal descriptions of new species of Opuntia has been somewhat delayed to secure more complete data from the mature cultivated plants. The types will be preserved in the U. S. Department of Agriculture and duplicates will be prepared for other herbaria.
Opuntia magnarenensis sp. nov.
A large hemispherical shrub 100-125 cm. high and 2 m. in diameter when fully developed, with main arms radiating and either ascending or resting on their edges, the secondary ones always erect from them ; joints obovate, sometimes widest at middle, but usually widest slightly above middle, pointed both above and below, yellowish-green, slightly glaucous, about 18 by 30 cm. ; leaves very large, flattened, prominently acuminate- cuspidate, 10-12 mm. long; areoles very large, oval to obovate, the largest ones on edges of last year's joints commonly 4 by 6 mm. and smallest about 3 by 5 mm., brown turning prominently gray and enlarging with age; spicules yellow, very prominent, scattered, unequal, 1 to 1)4 cm. long, increasing tremendously with age in both length and numbers, the areoles becoming very prominent ; spines white with light, bright reddish bases, flattened, stout, not annular, spreading in all directions, some- times twisted, 2-5 mostly 3, the central upper one very long and porrect, 3-5 cm. long, others shorter spreading around it; flowers yellow, 7 cm. in diameter, filaments yellow, style white to greenish tinged, stigma dark green, 7-parted, buds dull greenish-red, pointed, with lax sepals; fruit purplish-red throughout, with abundant bloom, long, obovate, about 4 by 7 cm., its areoles tawney, about 20, bearing spicules 4 mm. long.
This species is common on the Big Sandy, 30-50 miles south of King- man, Arizona. It is one of the conspicuous species on the bench lands above the river bottoms. In its main characteristics, it resembles more
• Ptoc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 27 : 23. 1914.
3— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash.. Vol. XXIX. 1916. (9)
10 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
closely Opuniia engelmannii than any other species. The type is preserved under my inventory number 10,560, collected near Owens Post Office, Arizona, May 3, 1912.
Opuntia intricata sp. nov.
Plants large, half prostrate, with long tangled arms often nearly a m. in length, mostly lying in a mass, one on top of the other; joints obovate, commonly 11 by 20 cm. glaucous blue-green, variable in size but outline quite uniform, pruinosity lost with age; areoles obovate, 3 mm. long on sides, and 4 mm. on edges of joints, with conspicuous wool, brown and tawney white at margin when young, changing in age to dirty gray; spicules rather bright yellow in a compact triangular tuft in upper portion of areole, about 2 mm. long, increasing in age, and at 2 or 3 years filling entire areole which becomes enlarged and subcircular; spines scattering, only on edges of joints, at apex 1 to 3, mostly 1 to 2, basal portion light yellowish brown, fading to white at about half its length, 2 to 3 cm. long, flattened, twisted, not consistently but frequently annular; flowers light purplish, filaments pinkish above, greenish below, style white with a tinge of reddish above, stigma light green, 8-parted ; fruit obovate, pyriform, light purplish-red with abundant bloom, rind and pulp tinting tardily, about 4 by %% cm.
This species is rather common in the lower parts of the mountain valleys, and upon the sandy alluvial bottoms at the mouths of washes above San Bernardino, California, and in similar positions southward. Old, mature plants have the habits described above. When grown under cultivation, however, the plants may be erect, or ascending until the arms reach a length of 50 to 75 cm., when they begin to bend over in a tangled mass upon the ground; or as is frequently the case in cultivation, break off at the articulations. This species is found in some of the European collections, and there is not much doubt but that their material was secured originally from A. H. Alvord of San Bernardino, California, who made extensive collections in the region. It has been referred liy Euro- pean collectors as a variety of Op. basilaris but it does not belong to that group. This description has been prepared from various notes made in the field, and from cultivated plants grown at Chico, California. The type bears my collection number 10,372 from near San Bernardino, Cali- fornia, May, 1912.
Opuntia aciculata sp. nov.
A low hemispherical shrub, 1 m. high, and 1^ to 2 m. in spread of branch, erect or main arms ascending or even resting on edge, and the secondary erect from them; joints ovate to obovate, mostly pointed above and below, 15 by 20 cm., but the older joints on our plants only 12 by 17 cm., dark green with some bloom; leaves circular in section, subulate, cuspidate, 7 mm. long, gradually recurved as they age; areoles subcircu- lar, varying from 4 to 6 mm. in diameter with the conspicuous brown wool 1 mm. or more above the surface of the joint, about 2^ cm. apart on sides of joints; spicules bright brown, conspicuous and formidable, 5
Griffiths — Xew Species of Opuntia. 11
to 7 mm. long, and tips lic^hter colored, nearly uniformly scattered thronj?hout the areoles, the tips of the tufts measuring 10 to 12 mm. in spread ; spines very few, only an occasional one on an occasional areola, brown, sloping down, 1 to 2 cm. long; flowers yellow with greenish centre 9 cm. in diameter, filaments greenish tinged, style white, stigma dark green, subglobose, 8 to 10-parted; fruit pyriform, deep purplish-red all the way through, having a little bloom up to early maturity.
The type is preserved under my inventory number 10,300, and was col- lected near Laredo, Texas, June 26, 1911. The description was drawn from cultivated plants grown at Chico, California, May 21, 1914. The distinguishing characters of the species are prominent, brown, abundant spicules, pointed joints, and remarkably few spines. It differs from Opuntia tardospina in being smaller in stature throughout, in being almost spineless even in age, and in having differently shaped joints.
Opuntia cretochaeta sp. nov.
Plants tall, arborescent, open-branched, 4 m. high or more in nature, with a distinct cylindrical trunk a meter or more long; joints obovate, 17 by 32 cm., widest at or aV)ove the middle, usually broadly rounded above and narrowed below, yellowish-green at maturity, but dark green when young, especially in shaded portions, smooth; areoles obovate, about 4 by 5 mm. and 3 to ?>% cm. apart, at first prominent, turning gray; leaves conical, 4 mm. long, cuspidate; spicules light-yellow, not conspicuous until toward close of growing season but then becoming for- midable in a large compact tuft, 5 mm. long in the upper portion of areoles, increasing greatly in length and numbers in age; spines white, at first, single porrect, then 2 and spreading, but at 1 year of age 3 to 5 spreading, the longest 4 or 5 cm. in length, the others shorter, flattened, twisted, and variously bent, increasing greatly in length and numbers in age, often becoming 6 or 7 cm. in length, and 12 to 18 in number, often in transversely elongated areoles a cm. in width at 4 years of age; flowers deep orange-red when opened, dark greenish red with tinge of purple in bud, b% cm. in diameter when fully opened; filaments greenish below and white with very faint reddish tinge above, style bright glossy red, with tinge of purple at top, stigma very light greenish with slight purplish tinge on side of dorsal groove, 6-parted; ovary obovate to clavate, 28 by 50 mm., tubercular-raised at areoles, with small brown areoles 1% mm. in diameter, 8 mm. apart ; fruit light purplish-red, the entire surface areo- lated, bearing commonly 1 white spine in upper areole, obovate, about ^% by 5 cm.
This species was collected originally near Dublan, Mexico, August 31, 1906, under my inventory number 8465. It has been grown at Chico, California, as well as at Brownsville and San Antonio, Texas.
Opuntia eocarpa sp. nov.
A reclining to ascending, spreading shrub, 75 cm. high and 150 cm. or more in spread, the main branches commonly resting on their edges and
12 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
ascending at extremities ; joints broadly obovate, often as broad as longr, about 20 cm. in diameter, yellowish-green with a little bloom, slightly raised at areoles even at second year; areoles dark, broadly obovate, 5 to 6 mm. in length; spicules yellow, 2 to 3 mm. long on sides of joints and compact along upper edge of areole, but on edges of joints they are divergent, prominent, 8 to 12 mm. long; spines formidable, divergent, stout, flattened, twisted, having light reddish-brown bases and gradually fading distally to white, 3 to 4, large, 3 to 4 cm. long, and 1 or 2 short white ones below, 1 to 1}^ cm. long; flower deep yellow, red within, turning deeper yellow and red centre enlarging as day advances, 7^ cm. in diameter when fully opened, resembling that of 0. phaeacantha brunnea, but larger throughout, filaments light-greenish below, style white, stigma large, very light green, 12-parted, with narrow segments; fruit light red with a tinge of purple and a little bloom toward maturity, but almost none when fully ripe, obovate to elliptical, about 4x5 cm. with a sunken, large, roughened scar, rind greenish and pulp colorless, areoles tawney, 2 mm. in diameter, spicules yellow, 2 mm. long, unequal, fugacious spines yellow but lighter and often white distally, 5 to 12 mm. long.
The species belongs to the phaeacantha group and differs from any of the described forms in that group in being larger throughout, and in having a different spination. The color of the spines resembles most closely that of phaeacantha brunnea of the second year's growth, but is even lighter colored than that. It is found rather commonly in the foot- hills of the Rellito and Santa Cruz Valleys of Arizona. The type specimen was collected near Pantano, Arizona, in September, 1911, under my collection number 10,452.
Opuntia recurvospina sp. nov.
An erect, open-branched species, 1 m. or more high and 1)4 to 2 m. in spread of branch; joints obovate, contracted below into a stipitate base, but often widest at middle, commonly narrowed above into a sharply rounded apex, mostly about 18 by 32 cm., having a little bloom on last year's growth but current season's joints a clear, slightly yellowish-green and decidedly yellowish-green in age; areoles subcircular to broadly oval, brown with compactly formed wool, 1 to 1)4 mm. high, 5 to 6 mm. long, enlarging slightly in age; spicules comparitively few, yellow, scattered through upper edges of areoles, unequal, 4 mm. or less in length in an occasional areole only, increasing but slightly with age; spines white with light brown to flesh-colored bases, flattened, twisted, 2 to 5 in number, mostly 2 or 3, spreading in all directions the second year and after that tightly recurved in all directions; flowers light yellow, 8 cm. in diameter, slightly greenish tinged within, filaments light above, greenish below, style white, stigma light-green, globose, 10-parted; fruit obovate, pyriform, about 4 by 7 cm., deeply pitted, purplish-red throughout, having a little bloom up to maturity but after that deep dark-red, its areoles tawney, with prominent wool, spicules yellow, 4 mm. long, unequal, located in central upper portion of areole, fugacious spines, remarkably prominent,
Griffiths — New Species of Opuvtia. 13
varying from close to length of spicules to 20 mm., and often 12 in number.
This species inhabits the foothills regions of the Rellito and Santa Cruz Valleys of southern Arizona. It is characterized by its large joints, peculiarly shaped for this group, recurved spines, and large, pyriform fruit. The type was collected near Pantano, Arizona, in September, 1911, under my inventory number 10,456.
Opuntia superbospina sp. nov.
Plants low, spreading, 30 to 40 cm. high and having a spread of 125 cm. or more, main arms resting on edge with distal segments ascending and secondary branches erect or ascending from the primary; joints obo- vate, about 10 by 19 cm., rather sharply rounded above and contracted below, with a moderately long stipitate base, very glaucous gray-green, slightly raised at areoles for about 2 years, turning yellowish-green in age; areoles large, obovate to oval, with prominent brown wool, about 6 mm. long; leaves short, subulate, cuspidate-pointed, pinkish, slightly recurved, 4 to 5 mm. long; spicules very prominent in a large tuft in upper portion of areole, yellow, 1 cm. long, continuing to increase for 2 years at least, in successive zones, from central areolar area ; spines long, formidable, at fir.st brownish at bases, especially at apex of joints, and white on sides, but all becoming white or nearly so in age, all but the lowermost areoles armed, 1 below to 3 or 4 above, stout, porrect-spreading, with the lowermost in the areole recurved and shorter than the others which are 6 cm. long on current year's growth, ranging to 8 cm. the second year and even longer than this in age; flowers yellow, red within, 7 to 8 em. in diameter when fully opened, fading to pinkish and becom- ing more red in centre toward close of day, filaments pink, style white or slightly tinted, stigma white, 6-parted ; fruit dull grayish-red with abund- ant bloom, rind greenish and pulp colorless, areoles about 18, gray to dull tawney, small, subcircular, 2 mm. in diameter, spicules yellow, 2 to 3 mm. long, fugacious spines, 2 to 5 or 6, and merging from length of spicules to 6 mm. in length, all yellow and much duller in color than the spicules of the stem.
The species is characterized by its very glaucous aspect, prominent yellow spicules and long, nearly white spines which are so numerous and formidable that it is impossible to get down into the centre of the plant. It was secured under my collection number 10,574, about 15 miles south- east of Kingman, Arizona, and has been observed in several localities in the same general region.
Optunia caesia sp. nov.
Plant a spreading shrub with main arms resting on their edges and the secondary ones erect from them, 60 cm. high and 2 m. in spread when fully matured; joints deep, glaucous blue-green, becoming yellowish- green in age, obovate, about 11 to 15 by 20 to 24 cm., gradually narrowed below to a stipitate base; areoles 4 mm. long, brown; spicules dark- brown in a compact tuft in the upper portion of areoles, 4 to 5 mm. long,
14 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
except at very apex of joints where in extreme cases they may be 15 mm, in length ; spines the first year 2 to 4, dark-brown except the lower down- ward sloping shorter ones, 15 to 20 mm. long, which are white, the others porrect and the longest often 6 to 8 cm. in length ; the second year fading to light-brown or yellow flesh-color, becoming white with age and increas- ing slightly in numbers, some of those on old wood very much flattened and twisted, annular at the base, especially the second season; flowers yellow with red centres, filaments yellow but greenish at base, style white, stigma large, subglobose, light-green ; fruit purplish-red with a deep bloom and much lighter colored within, the rind simply streaked with red and pulp slightly mottled, only at complete maturity is the color of the rind and pulp diffused and light-red, areoles small, elongated, ^ to 2 mm. long when wool is removed but before removing wool 3 mm. long and broadly oval, dull, dark gray, tawney with wool protruding 1 mm. and the brown, unequal spicules 2 mm. longer than the wool, fugacious spines irregular, 6 to 11 mm. long, lighter colored, often brownish to yellowish-white at maturity.
The species is easily recognized by the densely glaucous aspect of plant and fruit and shape of its joints. It has nearly as much bloom as the 0. robusta group of the Mexican highlands. The type was collected between Crozier and Hackberry, Arizona, the first of May, 1912, under my inventory number 10555. It has been observed in several situations in that general region and one other collection has been made and cul- tivated.
Opuntia expansa sp. nov.
A low, spreading species with long, radiating arms, 50 cm. high and having a spread with us now of 160 cm. but in natural habitat the radiating arms often 130 cm. in length and the entire plant 2)^ to 3 meters or more in diameter and reaching an extreme height of one meter, main arms radiating and resting on edge ; joints obovate, at first glaucous but losing its plumosity and becoming yellowish-green with age, about 11 to 13 by 20 to 22 cm., rounded above and contracted below into a more or less stipitate base; areoles broadly obovate to subcircular often 6 mm. in length on edges but commonly only 4 mm. on sides of joints, brown turning dirty black, becoming very prominent, subcircular and often 3 mm. high on old joints; spicules yellow to light-brown, in a compact tuft above, scarcely as long as the protruding wool with a few scattering bristles, more numerous and longer in age especially on edges toward apex of joints, sometimes 8 mm. long and always yellow in situ; spines light-brown at base, white distally, toward apex of two-year old joints there are commonly 4 to 5, the lower being white, 1 to 1)4 cm. long, the next situated directly above usually 3 cm. long, white throughout or dirty yellow to brownish at base, the other 2 or 3 slightly shorter and more deeply colored, commonly brownish below and yellowish distally but color variable; flowers 8^ cm. in diameter, yellow with dull red centre, the red coloration streaking upward through the veins late in the day, buds with decidedly glaucous-greenish sheen and scales lax ; fruit
Griffiths — New Species of Opuntia. 15
deep purplish-red all the way through with a little bloona in early ma- turity, but almost maroon when fully matured, obovate, deeply pitted, about 3 by 53^ cm., areoles 2}4 mm. in diameter, tawney, bearing yel- lowish spicules 2 mm. long and about 4 fugacious spines 5 to 6 mm. long in upper areoles.
This species is rather common among the pinons and junipers of the Anton Chico region of New Mexico and is commonly found associated with Op. engelmannii cyclodes. The type was collected under my inven- tory number 10,324 near Anton Chico, New Mexico, in August, 1911. It has also been received and secured under other numbers from Casaus and the mouth of the Gallinas.
Opuntia xerocarpa sp. nov.
A low spreading species 25 to 35 cm. high and a meter in spread, the main arms usually resting on their edges and the secondary growth erect from them; joints mostly obovate, thick and turgid, 7 to 9 by 11 to 14 cm., glossy yellowish-green, broadly to sharply rounded above; areoles broadly obovate to subcircular, 3 mm. long, at first brown with a mar- ginal white zone soon turning completely tawney-brown and then dirty gray; spicules light-brown but inconspicuous on current year's growth, but on last season's wood 1 to 2 mm. long and continuing to develop in successive interior zones and frequently becoming 5 mm. in length in very much enlarged areoles; spines white, commonly 1 central 3 or 4 cm. long, flattened, twisted and sloping down, and 2 or 3 recurved downward sloping radials below, 1 cm. long or less, on edges of joints, however the centrals may be 2 or even 3 and the radials lengthened to 2 cm. and increased to 4 or 5; flowers yellow, 5 to 6 cm. in diameter, slightly green- ish within, filaments yellow above and greenish at base, style white, stigma dark green, about 7-parted; fruit dry, S}4 to 4 cm. long and 1)4 cm. in diameter, obovate to cylindrical, when fully matured green with a blush of red on one side, bearing about 24 small subcircular areoles, 6 to 8 mm. apart and bearing a small tuft of brown spicules and 1 to 3 or 4 short white spines, commonly 5 to 7 mm. long, and 2 or 3 to several fugacious spines of similar length.
This is a very characteristic, dry-fruited, flat-jointed Opuntia of the western slope of the San Francisco highlands. It is readily distinguished from other species of its dry-fruited allies by its spines, shape of joints and color of plant body. The type was collected about 15 miles southeast of Kingman, Arizona, in May, 1912, under my inventory number 10,579 and has been in cultivation since that time, other collections having been grown previously.
Published by authority of the Secretary of Agriculture.
Vol. XXIX, pp. 17-18 January 25, 1916
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE /'r
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON ^-^
DESCRIPTION OF A NEW HAZEL GROUSE FROM
MANCHURIA.
BY J. H. RILEY.
[Published by permission of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.]
In these Proceedings,* under the description of Tetrastes bonasia vicinitas, I mentioned two specimens from Manchuria and pro- visionally referred them to Tetrastes bonasia septentrionalis. Mr. Copley Amory, Jr., has recently presented to the U. S. National Museum a fine series of seven specimens of true Tetrastes bonasia septentrionalis horn near Verkhni Kolymsk, on the upper Kolyma River, N. E. Siberia. A comparison of these with one or two additional specimens not available when I wrote my other paper has shown the Manchurian birds to represent a very distinct form. It may be known as :
Tetrastes bonasia amurensis subsp. nov.
Type, U. S. National Museum, No. 236,907, adult male, near I-mien- po, N. Kirin, Manchuria, October 14, 1914. Collected by Arthur de C. Sowerby (orig. No. 243).
Difiers from Tetrastes bonasia bonasia in having less white over the incipient ruff; in being grayer above (than in the gray phase) with a mere trace of deep hazel in the interscapular region ; and in having the underparts more heavily marked and with a deeper shade of brown or black.
Description. — Nasal plumes blackish mixed with white and along the culmen with chestnut-brown ; frons, a rictal stripe, lower eye-lid, and a spot behind the eye, white; the white of the frons separated in the middle by deep chestnut-brown and blackish and bordered posteriorly by blackish; top of head a rather deep drab, washed with russet, espec- ially on the nape, and with indistinct irregular blackish bars; inter- scapular region hair brown with blackish and deep hazel bars; lower back and rump mouse gray with more or less distinct shaft streaks and fleckings of blackish and with a rather broad sub-apical band of snufF brown, mostly concealed but showing through enough to give a slight
• XXVIII, 1915. 161.
4— Prog. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XXIX. 191G. (17)
18 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
cast to this region; upper tail-coverts mouse gray with irregular bars and fleckings of blackish and with a slight wash of snuff brown ; a line below eye and the ear-coverts mars brown, the former with some blackish spot- ting; sides of neck russet with irregular black bars and an apical grayish- white spot; the longer feathers over the incipient ruff blackish with some chestnut-brown on the inner web and with most of the outer web white; chin and throat black, bordered by white; feathers of the lower parts gray at the base, then auburn, then black, with a broad sub-terminal bar of white and with a more or less narrow edging of black, the latter lacking on the lower breast and belly ; the chest just below the white edging to the throat strongly washed with a narrow band of hazel ; flank feathers hazel with a sub-terminal black bar and a rather broad white tip; under tail-coverts vandyke brown vermiculated with black and with a narrow irregular subterminal black bar, broadly tipped with white; lesser wing- coverts hair brown barred with black and with a subterminal bar of pinkish-buff; alula and primary coverts hair brown irregularly margined on the outer web with pinkish-buff; middle and greater wing-coverts hair brown with black stippling and with more or less extensive guttate spots of light buff; primaries and secondaries chaetura drab, irregularly edged on the outer web with pinkish buff; tertials tawny towards the end, stippled with black and edged with ochraceous-buff, the outer web with a rather large spot and bar of black ; scapulars russet with black stipplings and some rather large black spots and bars, the anterior feathers with huffy shaft streaks, the posterior with rather large white or buffy-white terminal spots; middle tail-feathers Front's brown with irregular bars of wood brown and black, the whole stippled with black; outer tail-feathers neutral gray stippled with black and with a broad sub- terminal band of black ; tarsi light grayish olive with a buffy wash and some obscure dusky markings. Wing, 162; tail, 110.5; culmen, 18.
Remarks. — I have given a rather detailed description of this form as it is so very different from anything before me. From Tetrastes bonasia septentrionalis it is so very distinct that it hardly needs comparison ; that form is clear neutral gray above, lighter on the rump, with the black barring rather narrow on the interscapular region and with only the scapulars showing brown (hazel), while in the present form the back is hair brown with deep hazel bars and the black bars a little broader but not so numerous. The wings of T. b. septentrionalis are also very different from T. b. amurensis, the former contain more white and the edgings to the feathers are broader.
Of Tetrastes bonasia amurensif I have three males before me, two from the type locality and one from the Amur (near Nikolaievsk); they are similar except the hazel wash across the chest is much more pronounced in the type, in fact in the other two specimens it is almost entirely lacking.
Wing. Tail. Culmen.
Three males from Manchuria average : 164.5 110.7 16.7 Six males of T. b. septentrionalis: 159 115.2 15.8
For measurements of European and Japanese specimens, see these Proceedings, XXVIII, 1915, p. 162.
Vol. XXIX, pp. 19-20 January 25, 1916
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
A NEW ANOLIS FROM CUBA. BY T. BARBOUR AND C. T. RAMSDEN.
Not long ago Doctor Stejneger kindly loaned us for study a number of specimens of Anolis collected by Messrs. Palmer and Riley in Cuba during the year 1900. He is preparing a report upon this collection for publication and noted that it con- tained this new species. Nevertheless since we also had the species in manuscript he has generously allowed us to describe it. For this courtesy we owe him our sincere thanks. This pretty little lizard may be called
Anolis mestrei sp. nov. •
Type, M. C. Z. No. 11,285 from the Valley of Luis Lazo, Western Pinar del Rio, Cuba, collected in March, 1915, by T. Barbour. Paratypes M. C. Z. No. 11,286, from the same locality, also U. S. Nat. Mas. Nos. 26,731, 32, 33 from San Diego de los Banos and No. 27,344 from "El Guamd," a finca near the city of Pinar del Rio, all four specimens from the Palmer and Riley collection.
Description of the type. — Head with two slightly diverging ridges on the frontal region ; forehead concave ; all the head scales rather feebly keeled; seen from in front rostral about the same height as the mentals; six elongate scales between the nostrils ; a single series of scales separating the supraocular semicircles; occipital slightly smaller than ear opening, separated from the supraocular semicircles by about four rows of scales, which are very much larger than the dorsal granules and slightly larger than the scales which bound the occipital posteriorly; supraorbital disc composed of about six large and a few additional smaller but somewhat enlarged scales; these are all very feebly keeled and arranged in grada- tion, the largest scales nearest the scales of the semicircles, which they match in size; there are about 3 series of enlarged scutes in the discs; disc separated from semicircles by one row of granules ; three or four scales between the superciliaries and the supraorbital semicircles bounding the area of the supraorbital granules anteriorly; canthus rostralis sharp, consisting of five or six elongate shields which are
5— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XXIX, 1916. (19)
20 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washingloi).
continuous with the superciliaries ; loreal rows five or six; subocular semicircles in contact with supralabials; supralabials six, the suture between the fifth and sixth under the centre of the eye ; temporals exces- sively minute, granular, no enlarged series forming a supratemporal line; dorsal and lateral scales minute, granular, none on the middorsal line enlarged ; ventral scales medium in size, flat, imbricate, without trace of keel; scales of throat and chest also smooth; forehmbs above with small, imbricate, very feebly keeled scales, smaller than theventrals; femur and tibia with similar but slightly larger and smooth or very feebly keeled scales; fingers and toes above not distinctly carinate; digital expansion narrow, about 15 lamellae under phalanges II and III of fourth toe; tail broken in type; (in U. S. N. M. No. 26,731 — tail long, compressed, without a "fin," divided into irregular segments of about 5, keeled scales each, the limiting row of each segment slightly enlarged) ; in type, dewlap rather large, with smooth scales, anterior edge slightly thickened ; post- anal scales not enlarged.
Color of the type in life, mottled gray brown, of more or less a "salt and pepper" appearance. Dewlap white, with a large rich red brown spot at its base, surrounded by the white; the scales of the brown area white like the rest, the skin only colored. Belly whitish but throat with longitudinal dark lines. (All the paratypes show this character. )
Variation. — There is marked variation in the degree of carination of the head shields. U. S. N. M. No. 26,931 has them almost smooth, yet we can not believe that this specimen represents a separate species.
Habits. — The species seems to be one which is found almost wholly along the edges of woods on the trunks of trees and in shrubbery. The first author observed it often in the Valley of Luis Lazo and on his return was surprised to find but two specimens among the Anoles secured. While there with Prof, de la Torre and his assistant Sefior V. J. Rodriguez, Barbour's companion, Mr. W. S. Brooks, was taken with a very severe fever and in the hurried packing up of our booty and rather precipitate departure we fear that some specimens may have been left behind. Suffice it then to say that we recognized the species at once in life as one com- pletely unknown to us and one which we have not seen elsewhere during our many journeys throughout Cuba. Mr. and Mrs. Barbour collected during part of 1912 at San Diego de los Banos but failed to find the creature there as Palmer and Riley did — probably because they were at San Diego during a singularly cool and dry season when all Anoles were rare.
We have named this species for an old friend. Doctor Aristides Mestre, Adjunct Professor of Biology at the University of Havana.
Vol. XXIX, pp. 21-24 February 24, 1916
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
APLODONTIA HUMBOLDTIANA, A NEW MOUNTAIN
BEAVER FROM THE HUMBOLDT BAY
DISTRICT, CALIFORNIA.
BY WALTER P. TAYLOR.
[Contribution from the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology of the University of California.]
The range of the genus Aplodontia within California embraces three areas : The Cascade-Sierra Nevada mountain system from the northern boundary of the State south at least to Mammoth, Mono County ; the Trinity-Siskiyou mountain mass in the ex- treme northern part of the State ; and the coast district from the northern boundary of the State south to San Francisco Bay. Two coast forms have already been described : Aplodontia phasa Merriam, from Point Reyes, Marin County, and Aplodontia nigra Taylor, from Point Arena, Mendocino County. It has been known for some time that another form of Aplodontia occurs in the Humboldt Bay district, but lack of adequate material for description and comparison has postponed the decision of its systematic status till now. The writer desires to express his thanks to the authorities of the Field Museum of Natural His- tory, and particularly to Mr. Wilfred H. Osgood, Assistant Curator of Mammalogy and Ornithology, for the loan of speci- mens for study.
Aplodontia hutnboldtiana new species.
T(/pe.— Male adult, No. 21,162, Mus. Vert. Zool.; Carlotta, Humboldt County, California; January 4, 1914; collected by H. E. Wilder; Orig. No. 1494; stuffed skin, with skull and jaws, all in good condition.
Diagnosis. — Similar in coloration to Aplodontia chryseola, but darker; paler hue of brown series of colors interspersed with black hairs ; ventral brown wash much less distinct. Skulls may usually be separated from
6— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XXIX, 1916. (21)
"•^5^"
22 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
those of chryseola by outline of nasals. In humboldtiana the embayment in the lateral outline tends to be more pronounced and situated farther forward than in chryseola. Interpterygoid fossa usually broader; paroc- cipitals lighter; measurement transversely across angular process of mandible less.
Comparisons. — Examples of Aplodontia humboldtiana are larger and less richly colored than topotypes of A. pacifica from Newport, Oregon. From the new form one receives the impression of black interspersed with bufly, while from pacifica one gets the impression of rich brown, with black hairs plentifully insprinkled, and especially emphasized on the middle line of the back. A. humboldtiana is not so black as A. nigra, which is the darkest member of the genus known to date. The new form is less rich in brown coloration than any of the species occurring in con- tiguous districts, with the possible exception of nigra, chryseola being next in degree of richness, and pacifica the brightest of all. A. hum- boldtiana is also marked off from all its neighbors by the faint brown wash ventrally. In nigra the ventral brown wash is more distinct, in chryseola still more distinct, and in pacifica the most distinct of all.
Cranially Aplodontia humboldtiana can usually be separated from A. pacifica by the broader outline of its nasals, which are in most examples conspicuously dilated anteriorly rather than straight as in the Oregon species. Zygomatic width tends to be greater in humboldtiana than in pacifica or A. nigra, more as in A. chryseola. In general the cranial measurements of the new form tend to be greater than in pacifica or nigra. Nine of the fifteen specimens of humboldtiana measured have the width of the interpterygoid fossa equal to or exceeding the maximum of this measurement in chryseola and pacifica. A. humboldtiana has paroccipital processes intermediate in condition between the less promi- nent, more plate-like type observed in most examples of pacifica and the more prominent, heavier, more knob-like type noted in chryseola. Measurement transversely across angular process of mandible practically the same in humboldtiana as in pacifica, less than in chryseola. But greatest length of mandible links humboldtiana with chryseola rather than with pacifica. This measurement aff"ords a separative character as between humboldtiana and nigra, also, being greater in the former than in the latter.
Material. — Twenty-one specimens, all from California: 8 (Nos. 21,155- 21,162, Mus. Vert. Zoo!., taken by H. E. Wilder) from Carlotta, Hum- boldt County; 7 (No. 11,413, Mus. Vert. ZooL, taken by Frank Stephens; Nos. 18,990-18,994, 19,174, Mus. Vert. ZooL, taken by H. E. Wilder) from Cuddeback, Humboldt County; 5 (Nos. 9061-9064, 9066, Field Mus. Nat. Hist., taken by E. Heller) from Eureka, Humboldt County ; 1 (No. 21,983, Mus. Vert. ZooL, taken by H. S. Prescott) from Requa, Del Norte County.
Measurements. — Type (adult male) : Total length, 365 mm. ; tail verte- brae, 35; hind foot, 58; basilar length of skull, 59.8; width of nasals, 10.5; length of audital tube, 19.4; length of incisive foramina, 7.5; zygo- matic width, 53.9; greatest width of interpterygoid fossa, 5.5; mastoid
Taylor — A New Mountain Beaver from California. 23
width of cranium, 53.7; alveolar length of superior cheek teeth, 18.7; distance between infraorbital foramina, 16.1; mandible, transversely across angular process, 22.1; greatest length of mandible, 48.4.
Remarks. — Germane to this discussion are the following facts: For some time it has been recognized that the Aplodontia of the Humboldt Bay district is distinct from its coast-dwelling neighbors. Concerning the degree of its relationship to Aplodontia chryseola of the neighboring montane district interiorly there have been no adequate data at hand. A fairly sharp faunal line separates the Trinity Mountain district from that of the northern liumid coast. At least seven genera of rodents are represented in the two regions by distinct species or subspecies. Conse- quently it is not surprising to find that adequate material shows that the Aplodontia of the coast region is distinct from that in the neighboring montane district.
It is, however, somewhat surprising to find that the closest affinities of Aplodontia humboldtiana are with A. chryseola rather than with its neighbors on the coast, for the affinities in most groups of mammals would appear to be north and south in the coast districts rather than east and west from the coast districts to neighboring montane districts. At least this seems to be true in the genus Aplodontia, which has the rather compact group of coast-dwelling forms represented by Aplodontia phsea, A. nigra, and A. pacifica, apparently more closely related to each other than to any other members of the genus. Grinnell has shown (An Analysis of the Vertebrate Fauna of the Trinity Region of Northern Cali- fornia, Univ. Calif. Publ. Zool., vol. 12, 1916, pp. 401, 407) that there are few Boreal species, either of birds or mammals, in the Trinity region which are identical with, or show closest affinities to, representatives in the northern humid coast belt. It is of interest that no rodent appears among the species listed by him as illustrative of close affinities in this direction.
Consequent upon these considerations it appears that Aplodontia hum- boldtiana furnishes an exception to the usual systematic alignment in the region in question, having its closest affinities rather with its montane neighbor to the eastward, than with its lowland neighbors either north or south along the coast.
Vol. XXIX. pp. 25-26 February 24, 1916
PROCEEDINGS
or THE
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
DESCRIPTION OF A NEW CISCO FROM LAKE ERIE, BY TARLETON H. BEAN.
On September 21, 1915, Mr. Phillip H. Hartman, Superin- tendent of the State Hatchery at Erie, Pa., showed the writer a Cisco which he had obtained from a Lake Erie fisherman, and which he has recently sent to me for description. The fish is so remarkable in the development of its fins as to raise a question concerning its relation to the normal forms of Lake Herring of the Great Lakes. The pectorals extend beyond the origin of the ventrals. The ventrals reach beyond the end of the anal base. The longest anal ray exceeds the depth of the body. The longest dorsal ray is more than one-third of the length of the fish without caudal.
Leucichthys macropterus new species.
The type of the species, an immature male, is 244 millimeters long without the caudal. D. 11; A. 11; scales 8-74-8; scales between occiput and dorsal fin 34; branchiostegals 8; gillrakers 8+22, the longest equal to eye; head 4.28 in length; depth 4; length of caudal peduncle 10.5; depth of caudal peduncle 12; eye 4% in head; long diameter of orbit equals distance from tip of snout to eye, 4 in head, and about equal to interorbital space; length of maxilla from tip of snout 3 in head; mandible very slightly projecting, 2)4 in head ; distance from snout to occiput twice length of maxilla.
Distance from ventral origin to pectoral origin five-sixths of pectoral length; length of pectoral one and two-thirds times head. Length of ventral nearly twice length of head. Accessory ventral about equal to maxilla. The longest dorsal ray one and one-half times head.
The length of the base of adipose dorsal is only slightly greater than the height of the fin, and is not equal to the eye. The longest anal ray somewhat exceeds depth of body. The lower caudal rays longest, equal- ling length of pectoral.
7— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash.. Vol. XXIX, 1916. (26)
26 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
Colors in formalin, upper parts pale brownish, paler below; fins all pale; eye dark bluish with traces of bronze on the iris. The measurements are given in millimeters in the following table:
MEASUREMENTS OF LEUCICHTHYS MACROPTERUS.
mm.
Length without caudal 244
Comparative measurements :
Head, 4.28 in length 57
Depth, 4 in length 65
Caudal peduncle
Length 23
Depth 20
Eye, 4% in head 11
Orbit, long diameter 15
Snout from eye 15
Interorbital space 16
Maxillary length from tip of snout, 3 in head 19
Mandible, very slightly projecting ... 25
Snout to occiput 38
Ventrals to pectorals (ventral origin to pectoral origin) . 81
Pectoral length in ventral-pectoral distance 85
Pectoral length 95
Ventral origin from tip of snout 137
Ventral length 107
Accessory ventral length 18
Dorsal height (longest ray) 85
Dorsal origin from tip of snout 123
Adipose length — length of base 9
Adipose height 8
Anal height (longest ray) 70
Lower caudal rays (longest) 95
The discovery of this singular form of cisco is due to the watchfulness of Superintendent Hartman over the collections of fishes obtained by fishermen and collectors in the vicinity of the Erie Station. The specimen was caught in a gill net by the tug Erie, December 19 or 20, 1914, on a north course out of Erie near the boundary line between New York and Canada.
Type in U. S. National Museum, Washington, D. C, catalogue number 76,845.
Vol. XXIX, pp. 27-36 February 24, 1916
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
NEW EAST INDIAN STARFISHES. BY WALTER K. FISHER.
The new species of starfishes* herein described were collected by the U. S. Fisheries steamer Albatross during her cruise of 1907-1910. The type of Asterina cristata is from the Museum of Comparative Zoology, of Cambridge, Mass. The other types are in the U. S. National Museum. These species will be fully described and figured in the final report.
Asterina cristata new species.
Diagnosis. — Related to A. cepheus, but with a variable number of abactinal plates (upward of 50 to a ray) elevated and tubercular in form and surmounted by 1 to 5 unequal, robust, pointed spines, the largest 4 or 5 times as long as the spinelets of the other plates, and many times greater in diameter; other abactinal plates with 5 to 10 short, sharp spinelets in spaced groups, mostly on the adcentral border; in center of disk a poorly defined pentagon of elevated plates; at base of ray, 6 regular longitudinal series of papulae on either side of a radial area of irregularly arranged pores. Inferomarginal plates with a conspicuous tapered spine surrounded by smaller spinelets. Actinal intermediate plates with a group of 2 to 4, mostly 3, basally webbed spinelets; furrow spinelets usually 6, webbed for about half their length, the 3 or 4 median conspicuously larger than the laterals; subambulacral spinelets usually 4, the 2 median much longer than the laterals (in another specimen there are 5 or 6, of which 2 are enlarged). Rays 5, rather narrow, with a rounded extremity. R=37 mm., r=14.5 mm., R=2.5 r; breadth of ray at base, 15 mm.
Type. — No. 689, Museum of Comparative Zoology.
Type-locality. — Ponape, Caroline Islands.
•New genera and species from the Albatross Philippine collection have already been published in the Proceedings of the United States National Museum as follows : vol. 40, May 17, 1911, pp. 415-427; vol. 43, Feb. 5, 1913, pp. 599-648; vol. 46, Sept. 30, 1913. pp. 201-224.
8— Peoc. Biol. Soc. Wash.,IVol. XXIX, 1916. (27)
28 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
The characteristic feature of this species is the presence of elevated abactinal plates with robust conical spines, forming conspicuous pro- tuberances, very variable in number.
Pteraster corynetes new species.
Diagnosis. — Abactinal surface resembling superficially that of P. pul- villus ; probably more nearly related to P. semireticulatus . Paxillee with low pedicel surmounted by 7 or 8 longer, radiating, peripheral spinelets surrounding a central shorter one; tips of peripheral spinelets united by fibrous tissue ; spiracula in lines between spinelets ; no deposits in supra- dorsal membrane; furrow fans with 7 spines (distally, 6); actinolateral spines stout, the tips defining ambitus ; 5 oral spines, the 10 united by a continuous membrane; suboral spine may be entirely lacking; when present, slender, tapering. Rays 5; R=24 mm., r=13mm., R=1.8 r; breadth of ray at base, 14 or 15 mm.; thickness of disk, 9 mm.
Type.— Cat. No. 37,014 U. S. N. M.
Type-locality .—Station 5623, Molucca Passage, 7.5 miles northeast Mak- yan Island (0° 16' 30'^ N., 127° 30' E. ), 272 fathoms, fine sand, mud ; 1 specimen.
In my key to the species of Pteraster (Asteroidea of the North Pacific, p. 368), P. corynetes belongs to the second section, although the rays are slightly longer than in the other species. Among those species having all the oral spines united by a continuous membrane, only 5 are com- parable with corynetes, namely pulvillus, temnochiton, rugatus, semire- ticulatus, and ingolfi, to none of which it is closely related.
Pteraster obesus myonotus new subspecies.
Diagnosis. — Closely related to P. obesus H. L. Clark, of Japan, and resembling superficially P. pulvillus Sars. Differing from obesus in being nearly pentagonal in form, in having a fairly tough supradorsal mem- brane in which there are well developed bands of muscle forming a reticulum of hexagons and triangles; and in having fewer paxillar spines (7); adambulacral spines 5 (6 on the first few plates), the innermost very short; 7 or 8 free oral spines, the innermost flattened and truncate; suboral spine sharp, a little longer than longest oral spine, and with the distal half hyaline, tapering, three-edged. R=28 mm.; r=24mm.; R =1.2 r.
Type.— Cat. No. 37,015 U. S. N. M.
Type-locality.— Station 5518, Mindanao Sea, off" Point Tagalo, 200 fath- oms, gray mud, globigerina; bottom temperature 54° Fahr.
Diplopteraster multipes patagiatus new subspecies.
Diagrnosis.— Closely resembling D. multipes, but differing in having narrower paxillar areas (exclusive of actinostomial membrane) and in having the same number of spines in both sorts of furrow combs (or if an
Fisher — Ne^v East Indian Starfishes. 29
unequal number, then one more in the non-prominent combs, instead of one less, as in multipes); adambulacral spines longer. R=95 mm.; r=60 mm. (measured to edge of actinostomial membrane); R=1.5r; r=50 mm., measured to edge of paxillar area; breadth of paxillar area at interradias, 50 to 57 mm. (=60% or less of R, while in multipes it equals 80%, or more, of R.
Type.— Cat. No. 37,016 U. S. N. M.
Type-locality.— St&iion 5656, Gulf of Boni, Celebes (3° IT W S., 120° 36^ W E.), 484 fathoms, gray mud ; bottom temperature, 41.2° Fahr.
Hymenaster rhodopeplus new species.
Diagnosis. — Closely resembling H. nobilis Sladen, but difiering in hav- ing 7 instead of 6 rows of paxillae to each ray, in having a stouter and longer adambulacral spine (much longer than aperture papilla), and in having 2 acicular suboral spines to each plate (instead of 1, resembling an aperture papilla). Marginal contour pentagonal; R=82mm.; r=55 mm.; breadth of paxillar area at base, 35 mm.; distance from center of disk to margin of paxillar area on interradial line, 30 to 32 mm.
Type.— Cat. No. 37,017 U. S. N. M.
Type-locality. —Station 5606, Gulf of Tomini, Celebes (0° 16'' 28^^ N., 121° 33^ 30'^ E.), 834 fathoms, green mud.
Hymenaster bartschi new species.
Diagnosis. — Very similar to H. pullatus, but differing ,in having the paxillar areas of the 5 rays separated interradially nearly to the oscular valves, and in having numerous spiracula in the supradorsal membrane, there being a series of band-like spiracular areas along either side of the paxillar areas extending toward the interradial line. General contour originally probably nearly pentagonal, produced at the corners into attenuate tips. R— about 70 mm. Supradorsal membrane very thin and transparent between the numerous, conspicuous, criss-crossing muscle bands. Pseudopaxillae in 7 rows, the median and adradial rudimentary, with 1 to 3 tiny spinelets ; the 2 lateral series with 3 or 4 spinelets to each paxilla. Furrow spinelets 3, flattened at the base and tapering to a point, the adoral slightly the longest (1.5 to 1.75 mm.). Actinolateral membrane broad, rather thin, deep brown in color ; twelfth to seven- teenth actinolateral spines the longest.
Type.— Cat. No. 37,018 U. S. N. M.
Type-locality.— Station 5428, Sulu Sea, off eastern Palawan (9° 13^ N., 118° 51^ 15'^ E.), 1105 fathoms, green mud; bottom temperature, 49.7^ Fahr.
Named for Dr. Paul Bartsch of the U. S. National Museum.
Zoroaster ophiactis new species.
Diagrnosis.— Closely related to Zoroaster alfredi Alcock, from which it differs in having longer rays, stouter, conical, carinal spines, relatively smaller papular pedicellarise, ungrooved spinelets, less numerous adambu- lacral pedicellarise, and in lacking, deep in the furrow, the 2 large bunches
30 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
of pedicellariae characteristic of alfredi. R=282mm., r= 15.5 mm., R =18 r; breadth of ray at base, 17 mm. Disk very small, fairly level on top in large specimens, tumid in small ; rays slender and strongly cari- nate, the carinal plates forming a definite spiniferous ridge. Between adradial plates (which have no central spine) and adambulacrals, 7 longitudinal series of plates at base of ray, each plate with a central con- spicuous, slender, tapering, sharp spine, which on the 3 lowermost rows becomes flattened and appressed. x\dambulacral armature: 1 spine deep in furrow with a terminal three-cornered sacculus with upward of 10 unequal, medium sized and small pedicellarise, and above this a row of 3 or 4 spines bent outward, the third usually the longest; that above furrow spine with a large pedicellaria.
Type— Cat. No. 37,008 U. S. N. M.
Type-locality. — Station 5606, Gulf of Tomini, Celebes, 834 fathoms, green mud, 1 specimen.
Zoroaster microporus new species.
Diagnosis. — Related to Zoroaster barathri Alcock, from which it differs in having squarish, instead of hexagonal carinal plates, smaller miliary spinelets, longer central spines on 5 lateral rows of plates (instead of on the 2 or 3 lowermost series only), more numerous pedicellarise, in having 2 inner spines of the prominent adambulacrals with pedicillariae (3 in barathrif), and in having 2 transverse series of spines on the actinal face of both sorts of adambulacrals. R=205 mm., r=12 mm., R=17 r; breadth of ray at base, 13 mm. Disk small, scarcely more than the united bases of the rays ; rays long, slender, with a conspicuous, rounded unarmed carinal ridge, and a well-defined sulcus along either side; 5 series of lateral plates with a central spine ; tube-feet biserial.
Type.— Cat. No. 37,009 U. S. N. M.
Type-locality. — Station 5637, 21 miles southwest Amblan Island (off" Bouro Island), Moluccas (3° 53^ 20'^ S., 126° 48' E), 700 fathoms, gray mud.
Zoroaster carinatus philippinensis new subspecies.
Diagnosis. — Differing from Zoroaster carinatus in having more numerous adambulacral spines, with many more pedicellariae ; less tumid apical plates, less prominent central spinelets to carinal plates ; more numerous pedicellarise generally. Disk small, rays long, slender, pointed, with a midradial ridge or carina; central spinelets of carinal plates slightly en- larged; 4 rows of slender appressed spinelets along side of ray (3 in small specimens); superomarginal and proximal inferomarginal plates without central spine (the latter sporadically with spine in carinatus); prominent adambulacral plates with transverse series of 6 or 7 spines (5 in small specimens), the inner 2 with several large and small pedicellarise. R=194 mm., r=13.5 mm., R=14 r; breadth of ray at base, 14 or 15 mm.
Type.— C&t. No. 37,010 U. S. N. M.
Type-locality. — Station 5587, Sibuko Bay, Borneo, 415 fathoms, green mud, sand, coral; bottom temperature 42.3° Fahr.
Fisher — New East Indian Starfishes. 31
Bythiolophus new genus.
Diagnosis. — In general structure resembling Zoroaster, except in the presence of snperambulacral plates and in the arrangement of the abactinal skeleton. In this the adradial series is more prominent than the carinal, consisting of alternately larger and smaller, transversely elongated plates, the larger of which overlie the lateral third of thecarinals; both sorts strongly overlap the upper end of the superomarginals. Two series of marginals and 4 series of intermediate plates. Adambulacral plates as in Zoroaster.
Type. — B. acanthinus, new species.
Bythiolophus acanthinus new species.
Diagnosis. — Rays 5. R=105 mm., r=13 mm. R=8 r; breadth of ray at base, 1-1 mm. Rays 4 sided, very gradually tapering; abactinal surface of ray sunken, along median line except near tip, where the surface is nearly plane; sides forming a steep bevel; interbrachial arcs angular; radial plates sunken, but tumid, with a short, sharp, appressed spine; adradial plates prominent, forming margin of abactinal surface, larger and smaller alternating, the larger and some of the smaller with a central spine similar to the carinal spines; 6 lateral series of plates, each with a prominent central spine, the third and fourth from top the longest; prominent adambulacral plates with transverse series of 4 spines, and about 3 spinelets (on actinal surface), the inner with 1 to several pedi- cellarite.
Type.— Cat. No. 37,011, U. S. N. M.
Type-locality. — Station 5648, Buton Strait, Celebes, 559 fathoms, green mud, bottom temperature, 39.2° Fahr.
Odinia penichra new species.
Diagnosis. — Rays 16, rather slender, the costal region extending about half the length of ray and containing 10 to 12 complete, rather weak, conspicuously spiniferous costae, widely and nearly equidistantly spaced ; disk with steeply beveled margin and conspicuous, terminally denticu- late spinelets in ones and twos on its slightly convex plates; adam- bulacral armature with 1 slender aboral furrow spinelet and 1 actinal spine, proximally bifid ; oral plates with 4 or 5 actinostomial spinelets, and 1 aboral furrow spinelet; no suboral spine. R=100 mm., r=7.5 mm. (to edge of disk), R=13.3 r; breadth of ray at base, 3.5 mm. ; breadth of actinostome, 9 mm.
Type.— Cat. No. 37,019 U. S. N. M.
Type-locality. — Station 5217, between Burias and Lu^on, 105 fathoms, coarse gray sand.
Brisinga trachydisca new species.
Diagnosis. — Rays 13 or 12; a multicostate form with the spinelets of disk in groups of 2 to 6, spaced like pseudopaxillse ; costas 40-45, very prominent, irregular and sinuous, without intercostal bands of pedi-
32 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
cellarife, and with relatively coarse spinelets, the costal region occupying more than a third of the total length of ray but less than one-half; adam- bulacral plates not crowded; armature with 1 aboral furrow spinelet, 1 adoral actinal spine, \}4 to 1% the length of the plate, and 1 prominent actinal spine 3 times the length of plate. Rays slender, very long; breadth of disk equals 4 to 4^ times width of ray at base.
Type.— Cat. No. 37,020, U. S. N. M.
Type-locality. — Station 5491, between Leyte and Mindanao, 736 fathoms, green mud, coral, bottom temperature 52.3° Fahr.
This species differs from B. andamanica in having more closely crowded costse, with strongly, not feebly developed plates, in having a longer costal region, in lacking well-developed bands of pedicellarise between the costse and in having fewer (12 or 13, not 15), less deciduous rays. B. gunnii differs in having more numerous rays, much thinner disk, which has a downy appearance, only 20 to 30 ridges, especially promi- nent laterally but obsolete abactinally, intercostal bands of pedicellarise, a much shorter major subambulacral spine, and mouth plates composed of 2 incompletely fused adambulacrals, leaving a " ligamentous symphysis between."
Brisinga mimica new species.
Diagnosis. — Rays 16. Costse numerous (25 to 30), closely placed, prominent, irregular, with relatively coarse spinelets, without intervening bands of pedicellarise; costse confined to basal fifth of ray, beyond which for an equal distance are about 15 very inconspicuous ridges composed of small plates, but carrying a fairly heavy felting of pedicellarise ; disk large, with isolated delicate spinelets not in groups; adambulacral plates proxi- mally wider than long and crowded in appearance; armature typically 1 aboral furrow spinelet, 1 aboral actinal spinule and 1 longer adoral actinal spine (equaling 2 plates in length), and 1 major spine about 3 plates in length. Rays slender, very long; R=:385 mm., r=19 mm.
Type.— C&t. No. 37,021, U. S. N. M.
Type-locality.— Station 5648, Buton Strait, Celebes (5° 35^ S. , 122° 20^ E. ) , 559 fathoms, green mud; bottom temperature 39.2° Fahr.
B. insularum has 13 rays and disk spinelets in groups, intercostal ridges of pedicellarite, only 13 to 17 costse, and longer lateral spines. B. benga- lensis has 14 rays, a small disk, with the abactinal spinelets in tufts, 20 costse, occupying basal ninth of the ray, intercostal bands of pedicellarise equally salient with the ribs.
Brisinga moluccana new species.
Diagnosis. — Rays 16. Costse 25, complete, prominent, well-spaced, with 1 to 3 intercostal bands of pedicellarise; costal spinelets relatively coarse; disk medium, with isolated papilliform, small, spinelets, and minute pedicellarias ; adambulacral plates about as wide as long proxi- mally ; armature typically : 1 true furrow spinelet at either end of plate and equal to about % the length of plate ; aborad and actinad to the
Fisher — Neio East Indian Starfishes. 33
adoral spinelet is a shorter one generally pointed away from the furrow ; the large actinal spine, equal to 2 or 3 plates in length, is situated on the aboral half of plate. Costal area swollen, occupying somewhat more than basal third of ray; integument thin, devoid of prickles. Breadth of disk equal 5 times width of ray at base (6 mm. ). R=410 nmi., r=15 ram.
Type.— Cat. No. 37,022, U. S. N. M.
Type-locality. — Station 5626, between Gillolo and Kayoa Islands, Molucca Islands, 265 fathoms, gray mud, fine sand.
Brisinga acanthogenys new species.
Diagnosis. — Rays 11. Costfe 20, complete, prominent, well spaced, with 1 complete and 1 or 2 incomplete bands of intercostal pedicellariae; costal spinelets fairly prominent, few in number; disk small, with beveled margin; plates granuliform, spaced, with usually 2 or 3 very small spine- lets but no pedicellarife ; lateral spines long, equaling length of 7 or 8 adambulacral plates; no integumentary prickles on rays; adambulacral plates about as wide as long proximally; armature, proximally: 1 true furrow spinelet at each end, 1 minor adoral subambulacral spinule a little longer than the plate, and a major sul)ambulacral spine 3^ to 4 plates in length, situated on a prominence of the aboral half of the plate; mouth plates each with 2 suboral spines. Breadth of disk equal to 3)4 times width of ray at base (6 mm. ). R=350 mm., r=ll mm.
Type.— Cat. No. 37,023, U. S. N. M.
Type-locality. — Station 5440, mouth of Lingayan Gulf, Luzon, 172 fathoms, fine gray sand, globigerina; bottom temperature, 53.2° Fahr.
Craterobrisinga new subgenus.
Diagnosis. — Proximal adambulacral plates short, wider than long; the major subambulacral spines of proximal plates clavate, with enlarged capitate, often truncate tip. Type, Brisinga panopla Fisher.
This subgenus includes B. panopla Fisher, B. alberti Fisher, B. cri- cophora Sladen, B. parallela Koehler, besides the species described below.
Brisinga (Craterobrisinga) eucoryne new species.
Diagnosis. — Rays 11. Related to B. alberti Fisher. Five or 6 incon- spicuous rudimentary costse at base of ray, followed by 17 to 20 well- spaced prominent ridges occupying proximal third of ray; numerous small integumentary spinelets, and about 3 inconspicuous bands of pedi- cellarise between the costae, which are composed of elongate elliptical plates, usually not compressed, bearing 1 or 2 spinelets in center; disk small, with crowded, rather long, solitary spinelets giving a hirsute appearance; adambulacral plates proximally wider than long, with crowded armature; first dozen plates with the slenderer of the 2 sub- ambulacrals often truncate and slightly flaring; typical armature; a true furrow spinelet at either end of the plate and 2 large actinal grooved
34 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
spines sometimes in a traaisverse series at middle of plate or in an oblique series; outer spine of first 10 plates with a flaring truncate tip, ending in numerous points; each mouth plate with 2 large pointed suboral spines. Breadth of disk equaling 3K times width of ray at base (6 mm.). R= 205 + mm., r=10.5 mm. (small section from tip of ray missing).
Type— Cat. No. 37,024, U. S. N. M.
Type-locality. — Station 5348, Palawan Passage, 375 fathoms, coral sand, bottom temperature, 56.4° Fahr.
Stegnobrisinga new subgenus.
Diagnosis. — Integument between the costal arches of ray strengthened by many close-set, mostly contiguous or sometimes overlapping papery plates of irregular form and conspicuous size, completely filling the inter- spaces; proximal subambulacral spines acicular, as in typical Brisinga. Type, Brisinga placoderma.
The numerous costpe will at once separate this subgenus from Freyella, which has a characteristic appearance, quite unlike that of Stegno- brisinga.
Brisinga (Stegnobrisinga) placoderma new species.
Diagnosis.— Hays 13 or 14. Costpe 35 to 40, close together and not very prominent; intercostal areas paved with close-set, irregular, often overlapping papery plates devoid of spinelets; costal arches fairly regular and parallel, opposite every adambulacral, or occasionally more frequent, but only every third to fifth with a lateral spine; disk with beveled border and with close-set isolated spinelets and conspicuous slender-jawed pedi- cellarise; adambulacral armature variable, usually 2 furrow spinelets at each end of the furrow margin, or 1 aboral and 2 adoral about as long as the plate, and a subambulacral spine 2)4 to 3 plates in length. Breadth of disk equal to 3)^ to 4 times width of ray at base (8 mm. ). Rays long.
Type.— Ca.t. No. 37,025. U. S. N. M.
Type-locality. — Station 5648, Buton Strait, Celebes, 559 fathoms, green mud, bottom temperature, 39.2° Fahr.
Freyella spatulifera new species.
Diagnosis. — Rays 14, not very long. Disk with a beveled margin, covered with a close, uniform nap of mostly solitary, delicate spinelets ; disk plates not distinguishable. Genital region of ray short, slightly swollen, the spinelets in clusters of 2 to about 6 per plate. On all but basal fourth of ray there are low, transverse, parallel ridges, caused by the plates being slightly elevated, upon which the spinelets are more numerous than in the narrow intervening areas. These ridges resemble somewhat the costse of Brisinga, but are much less prominent. A slender, needle-like spine on the side of every adambulacral, beginning with the eighth, increases in length until equal to about 6 or 7 adambulacral plates. Adambulacral armature at base of ray consists of 1 furrow spine-
Fisher — New East Indian Starfishes. 35
let at each end of the plate and a third, longer one, above the aboral spinelet; ontheactinal surface is a prominent subambulacral spine which on the first 15 plates is conspicuously spatulate, the broad lip being sometimes flat, sometimes scoop-shaped, sometimes grooved. The trun- cated end has, often, 2 or 3 knobs, and the part of the spine which is flattened decreases from about half to about a fifth, or even less, on the distal spines affected. INIouth plates each with 3 short spinelets on the actinostomial margin, and 2 on the distal furrow corner; snboral spine about as long as the first subambulacral, with a sliglitly flattened, sub- lanceolate tip, sometimes ending in 2 distinct, sharp points. R=135 mm. -f- r=9 mm. : breadth of ray at base, 4.5 mm. ; length of genital region, 30- 35 mm.
Type— Ca,t. No. 36,747, U. S. N. M.
Type-locality.— Station 5668, 2° 28^ 30'^ S., 118° 43' E. (oflf Mamnju Island), 901 fathoms., gray mud.
This species which is characterized by the broadly spatulate, proximal subambulacral spines and the rudimentary, transverse, abactinal spini- ferous ridges difiers from F. echinata Sladen in lacking the conspicuous abactinal spines of the genital region, and from F. insignis Ludwig (from ofi' Panama) in having difierently formed proximal subambulacral spines. In insignis the spines usually end in 2 to 4 diverging prongs and are only exceptionally flattened to any extent, while the lateral spine is opposite every alternate adambulacral plate and there is only 1 small aboral fur- row spinelet. Freyella pacifica Ludwig, which has the tip of the proxi- mal subambulacral spines slightly enlarged, has the lateral spine and furrow spinelet as in insignis.
Vol. XXIX, pp. 37-38 February 24, 1916
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
A NEW BAT FROM PORTO RICO. BY HARTLEY H. T. JACKSON.
The Biological Survey Collection contains 235 specimens of bats obtained by Mr. Alex Wetmore while engaged in field work in Porto Rico during the spring and summer of 1912. An examination of this material reveals two specimens of an un- described form of Eptesicus, which I take pleasure in naming for the collector. The bat may be recognized by the following diagnosis :
Eptesicus wetmorei sp. nov.
Type. — Young adult c?, alcoholic with skull removed, No. 179,142, U. S. National Museum, Biological Survey Collection, from Maricao (altitude 1375 feet), Porto Rico; collected May 29, 1912, by Alex Wet- more. Original number 900.
General characters. — Nearest to Eptesicus cubensis (Gray) from which it dilfers externally in its slightly larger size, relatively larger ears and longer tragi, and duller color. Skull slightly larger than that of cubensis; relatively wider interorbitally and through braincase. Molariform denti- tion heavy; much heavier than in cubensis.
Color. — Upperparts duller than in Eptesicus cubensis ; about fuscous of Ridgway.* Underparts much paler than upperparts; near olive-brown, anteriorly, shading posteriorly into drab. Ears and membranes fuscous- black.
Measurements. — Type (measured in flesh by collector): total length,
97; tail vertebrae, 41; hind foot, 12. Type (measured by writer from
specimen in alcohol) : length of forearm, 46; length of tibia, 19.5; length
of thumb, 8.5; length of ear from crown, 13; length of tragus, 7.5.
• Ridgway, R. Color standards and color nomenclature, 1912.
&— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XXIX, 1916. (37)
38 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
Skull of type: condylobasal length, 17.1; greatest length, 18.2; breadth of braincase, 8.5; interorbital constriction, 4.4; length of maxillary tooth row (including canine), 7; length of mandibular tooth row (exclusive of incisors), 7.8.
Remarks. — The Porto Rican brown bat needs critical comparison only with Eptesicus cubensis from which it can be separated by the diagnosis above given. A male topotype (skin and skull. No. 179,230, U. S. National Museum, Biological Survey Collection) is immature, but as far as is determinable bears all the characters of the type.
Vol. XXIX, pp. 39-46 February 24, 1916
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
A LIST OF THE FISHES OF THE SENECA CREEK, MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MARYLAND, REGION.*
BY LEWIS RADCLIFFE AND W. W. WELSH.
The present paper is based upon collections of fishes from the Chesapeake and Ohio canal near Rushville, Maryland, and from Little Seneca and Tenmile creeks near Boyds, Maryland, De- cember 12 to 14, 1911. The authors accompanied one of the parties of the United States Bureau of Fisheries engaged in reclaiming the food fishes from the canal. This party seined a section of the canal about six miles in length from a point near Sycamore Island in the Potomac River up to Tenfoot Island. Large quantities of fish were hauled ashore with the seine and thousands of food fish which would have perished if left in the canal were carried over the bank and released in the Potomac River. As many of these were breeders, the fish supply of this section of the river was considerably augmented. Under these conditions, exceptional opportunities were afforded for gather- ing data as to the species occurring in this region and their relative abundance. Many of the fishes congregated in the deeper holes, especially in the basin or widewater in the canal above Rushville. About half a mile below Rushville, there is a lock locally known as Violett's Lock. A feeder from the river enters the canal below the lock, affording a means of ingress for the fishes of this section of the river. As the section above the lock is fed from a point much higher up and as the lock acts as a partial barrier, differences in the fauna of the two sections existed. Now that the fish from both sections are being released into this part of the river, these differences may
• Published with the permission of the United States Commissioner of Fisheries. 10— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash.. Vol. XXIX. 1916. (39)
40 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
disappear. In June and September, 1914, the junior autlior thoroughly seined a section of Little Seneca and Tenmile creeks, near Boyds, Maryland. These are branches of Seneca Creek, which empties into the Potomac River at Rushville.
Because of the proximity of the Seneca basin to the streams about Washington, D. C, the present paper may be of interest to those interested in the distribution of the species of this region. The list contains 34 species from the vicinity of Rush- ville, all but one being from the canal, and 19 species from Little Seneca and Tenmile creeks. Of the 41 species listed, 12 were common to the two regions, as follows :
Schilbeodes insignis Notropis photogenis amoenus
Catostomus commersonii Hybopsis kentuckiensis
Hypentelium nigricans Anguilla rostrata
Semotilus atromaculatus Lepomis auritus
Pimephales notatus Micropterus dolomieu
Notropis analostanus Boleosoma olmstedi
The following species were found only in Little Seneca and Tenmile creeks :
Semotilus corporalis Rhinichthys atronasus
Notropis cornutiis Exoglossum maxillingua
Rhinichthys cataractse Etheostoma flabellare
Uranidea gracilis
Without exception, these species are characteristic of the smaller streams, usually inhabiting the swifter creeks and brooks.
McAteeand Weed (Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, Vol. XXVIII, 1915, p. 6) list 27 species from the Chesapeake ahd Ohio canal between locks 11 and 12. Of these, all but four were taken in the section seined near Rushville and eleven additional species, as follows :
Ictalurus furcatiis Notropis procne
Moxostoma macrolepidotum Notropis analostanus
Carassius auratus Hybopsis kentuckiensis
Hybognathus nuchalis Fundulus diaphanus
Pimephales notatus Percopsis omiscomaycus
Micropterus salmoides
Of these, Moxostoma macrolepidotum was very abundant and Hybognathus nuchalis and Pimethales notatus were common.
Raddife and Welsh — Fishes of Seneca Creekj Md., Region. 41 Annotated List of Species.
SlLrRID^..
1. Ictalurus punctatus (Rafiuesque). This species has been introduced into the Potomac River below Great Falls and is apparently rare above the falls. Among the fish seined from the canal, only a single example, 134 mm. long, was seen.
2. Ictalurus furcatus (Le Sueur). A single example, 555 mm. long, was obtained in the canal above Violett's lock. The unusual conditions to which this specimen was ex- posed serves to illustrate the remarkable vitality of catfishes. It was captured about 10.00 a. m., December 13, carried in a cart without cover- ing during the remainder of the day and in the evening placed in a live box filled with carp. On the morning of the 14th it was lying on top of the carp, out of the water, showing no signs of activity ; on the morning of the 15th it was active. Being too large for our collecting cans, it was wrapped in a newspaper, packed in a grip and thvis carried to Wash- ington. In the afternoon, when unpacked, it appeared about as lively as when first captured.
3. Ameiurus nebulosus (Le Sueur).
Abundant in the canal.
4. Schilbeodes insignis (Richardson).
This species is common in Tenmile Creek, near Boyds, apparently being most abundant in the autumn. Examples up to 112 mm. in length were collected. In the canal four small examples were taken at a point below the lock, locally known as Buzzards Hole.
Catostomid^.
5. Catostomus commersonii (Lacepfede).
Sparingly common in the canal. The young are common in Little Seneca and Tenmile creeks. Those taken in the creeks in June, 1914, may be arranged according to length into two groups, the first of speci- mens 27 to 35 mm. long and the second of specimens 80 to 165 mm. in length. The latter are believed to belong to the stock of the previous year.
6. Hypentelium nigricans (Le Sueur).
Adults were abundant in the canal and the species also occurs in abun- dance, especially the young, in Little Seneca and Tenmile creeks. On June 6, 1914, many examples ranging in length from 25 to 140 mm. were taken in the latter region.
7. Erimyzon oblongus (Mitchill).
Abundant in the canal. A male 330 mm. long had three tubercles on
each side of snout. Color in life: back, brownish, crossed by nine
blackish saddles of about width of three rows of scales ; sides, brown witli
silvery and golden shades ; belly, silvery white ; body scales margined
42 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
with light golden color ; fins, reddish, narrowly margined with dusky- black; dorsal, caudal and anal with dusky mottlings. McAtee and Weed (Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XXVIII, 1915, p. 10) state that the species is rare in river and canal.
8. Moxostoma macrolepidotum (Le Sueur).
Very abundant in canal in this region. Three examples ranged in length from 238 to 355 mm.
CvPRINIDiE.
9. Cyprinus carpio (Linnfeus).
Common in the canal. Two of the largest were 650 and 800 mm. in length. This species is very tenacious of life if handled in such a manner that the gills are not injured, but bleeds to death very quickly, even from a slight abrasion. Carp seined from the canal were not returned to the river but were saved by the seiners for food, the most of them to be salted for winter use. Fish thus taken were carried in sacks in a wagon during the day and in the evening were packed in a live car placed in the bed of a small stream, some of them being above the water level. The number that died under this treatment was surprisingly small.
10. Carassius auratus (Linnseus).
Not uncommon in the canal. Of eight examples examined, the largest, 300 mm. in length, was black and dull orange. One was a uniform bright red, the others dusky silvery.
11. Hybognathus nuchalis Agassiz. Common in the canal, the largest being 106 mm. in length.
12. Semotilus corporalis (Mitchill). Common in Little Seneca and Tenmile Creeks.
13. Semotilus atromaculatus (Mitchill).
No examples were taken in the canal. Three, 93 to 163 mm. long, were seined in a small rivulet near the canal. In Little Seneca and Tenmile creeks, the species is abundant. Examples taken in June ranged in length from 50 to 115 mm., and small examples taken in September were 40 to 45 mm. long.
14. Notemigonus crysoleucas (Mitchill).
Abundant in canal, especially at a point locally known as Buzzards Hole; none taken in upper stretches of Seneca Creek.
15. Pimephales notatus (Rafinesque). Common in the canal ; abundant in Little Seneca and Tenmile creeks.
16. Notropis procne (Cope). Apparently rare in the canal.
17. Notropis hudsonius amarus (Girard). Abundant in the canal.
Radcliffe and Welsh — Fishes of Seneca Creek, Md., Region. 43
18. Notropis analostanus (Girard). Apparently rare in the canal and in Little Seneca and Tenmile creeks.
19. Notropis photogenis amoenus (Abbott).
Very abundant in the canal, the largest being 92 mm. long. Two examples were taken in Tenmile Creek.
20. Notropis cornutus (Mitchill).
Abundant in Little Seneca and Tenmile creeks. Specimens taken in June ranged in length from 48 to 110 mm.
21. Rtiiniclittiys cataractae (Cuvier & Valenciennes). Common in Little Seneca and Tenmile creeks. Examples taken in June may be grouped into two classes according to length, the first 24 to 27 mm. long, the second 66 to 82 mm. long.
22. Rliiniclithys atronasus (Mitchill). Abundant in Little Seneca and Tenmile creeks.
23. Hybopsis l<entucl<iensis (Rafinesqne). Several examples taken in the canal and in Tenmile Creek.
24. Exoglossum maxillingua (Le Sueur). A single example taken in Tenmile Creek.
Anguillid^. 25. Anguilla rostrata (Le Sueur). Two examples from canal and one from Tenmile Creek.
DOROSOMATID^.
26. Dorosoma cepedianum (Le Sueur).
Very abundant in the canal widewater above Rushville. Large schools were seen, more than a thousand adults being taken at a single haul of a 100 foot seine. The largest was 340 mm. long.
PCECILIID^.
27. Fundulus diaplianus (Le Sueur).
An adult taken in the canal below Violett's lock and a young example in a small pond above the lock.
Percopsid^.
28. Percopsis omiscomaycus (Walbaum).
Very abundant in the canal at a point locally known as Buzzards Hole, the larger examples ranging in length from 85 to 126 mm. Although the canal was seined for a distance of about 6 miles above this point, no examples were taken at other points. The only other record for this species in the vicinity of Washington is that of Smith and Bean (Bull. U. S. Fish Com. for 1898, 1899, p. 185) from Rock Creek and Cabin John Run.
44 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
CeNTRARCHIDvE.
29. Pomoxis annularis Rafinesqne.
Adults abundant in the canal widewater above Rushville. Over 1600 were rescued and liberated in the Potomac River. The largest one measured was 330 mm. long, but others which it is believed exceeded this length were seen. In over 100 examples examined the number of dorsal spines was 5 or 6, with two exceptions in which it was 7. McAtee and Weed (Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XXVIII, 1915, p. 12) state that this species and P. sparoides " are about equally common and occur both in the river and canal." Among the large number seined at this point, not a single example of the latter species was observed.
30. Ambloplites rupestris (Rafinesque).
Not uncommon in the canal. Examples from the point locally known as Buzzards Hole were of a very light silvery color, some of them show- ing scarcely any traces of black mottlings and with the size of the black opercular blotch greatly reduced. When placed in alcohol, these assumed the characteristic markings.
31. Chaenobryttus gulosus (Cuvier & Valenciennes). Abundant in the canal, more than 1,300 being rescued. Among those taken was an individual which appears to be a hybrid with Lepomis gibbosus. This has been described by the senior author (Copeia, No. 7, New York, June 20, 1914).
32. Lepomis cyanellus (Rafinesque). Small examples abundant in the canal. This introduced species is rapidly gaining a foothold throughout the region about Washington, apparently preferring ponds, muddy, slow-moving streams, canals and the like.
33. Lepomis auritus (Linnaeus).
Common in the canal and abundant in Little Seneca and Tenmile creeks.
34. Lepomis gibbosus (Linnaeus).
Common in the canal. Over 3,000 of the three species of Lepomis were rescued in this region.
35. Micropterus dolomieu (Lacepfede). Common in the canal below Violett's lock, but greatly outnumbered above the lock by M. salmoides. According to local fishermen dolomieu greatly outnumbers salmonoides in the Potomac along this stretch of the canal, while farther up the river, below Harpers Ferry, the reverse is true. The feeder from the Potomac enters the canal below the lock and the small-mouthed bass may have entered in this manner, while above the lock the fisli entered through a feeder from a point much higher up, where the large-mouthed bass predominates. Now that both species are being liberated in the Potomac in this region, this condition may be changed. Two examples were taken in Tenmile creek.
Raddifie and Welsh — Fishes of Seneca Creek, Md., Region. 45
36. Micropterus salmoides (Lacepede). Common in the canal above Violett's lock. As fast as the food fishes were seined from the canal, they were carried over the bank in buckets and liberated in the Potomac. One large bass, when released from the bucket in company with otlier varieties, instead of darting out into the river, seized and swallowed head foremost a small crappie which had been carried over with it. The fish did this within a few feet of the person releasing it. Over 1,100 bass (two species) were rescued from this section of the canal, many being adults.
Percid.e. .37. Perca flavescens (Mitchill). Not uncommon in the canal, mostly small.
38. Boleosoma olmstedi (Storer) Not uncommon in the canal and in Little Seneca and Tenmile creeks.
39. Etheostoma flabellare (Rafinesque). Abundant in the Little Seneca and Tenmile creeks.
Sekranid^.
40. Morone americana (Gmelin).
Common and of large size in the canal widewater above Rushville. Over 600 were rescued.
COTTID^.
41. Uranidea gracilis (Heckel).
Abundant in the upper waters of Little Seneca and Tenmile creeks. Specimens taken in June ranged in length from 22 to 85 mm.
t^
7ol. XXIX, pp, 47-50 February 24, 1916
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
GENERAL NOTES.
NOTE ON THE INDIGENOUS RODENT OF SANTO DOMINGO.
Hitherto the only known specimen of the indigenous rodent of Santo Domingo has been the type, sent to Paris by Ricord, and described as a new genns and species, Plagiodontia ledium, Vjy F. Cuvier in 1836.* The discovery of three left lower mandibles (one with dentition complete), a tibia, and part of a pelvis among some miscellaneous bones taken by ^V. ]M. Gabb from a kitchen midden in a cave on the shore of San Lorenzo Bay, Santo Domingo, 1869-71, is therefore of much interest.! Two of the mandibles represent adult individuals, while the third is not mature. Some of the measurements of the two adults (Nos. 200,411 and 200,412 U. S. National Museum) are: length from projection behind articular surface to posterior border of alveolus of incisor, 48, 50; depth through articular process, 24.0, 24.6; diastema, 11, 1.3; toothrow (alveoh), 19.0, 20.2; first lower molar (alveolus), 4.4x4.4, 5.0x5.0. In both of the adults the teeth were still growing from a basal pulp, so that the enamel pattern undergoes no change at successive levels from crown to base. The pattern is correctly represented by Cuvier (pi. 17, fig. 5) ; it is identi- cal in character with that of Adelphomys from the Santa Cruz beds of Patagonia as figured by Ameghino + and Scott. § The upper cheek teeth as figured by Cuvier (pi. 17, fig. 4) are equally like those of a Santa Cruz specimen regarded by Scott (pi. 65, fig. 13) as representing the maxillary dentition of Scleromys Ameghino, a genus based on lower teeth diff'ering widely from those of Adelphomys and Plagiodontia. The exact meaning of the discrepancies can not now be explained. These conclusions, how- ever, seem justified: that Plagiodontia is not closely related to Capromys, and that the occurrence of these two genera and of Amblyrhiza in the West Indies during relatively recent times indicates the probability of a once-abundant Antillean representation of the Hystricine group.
— Gerrit S. Miller, Jr.
•Ann. Sci. Nat., Paris, ser. 2, vol. 6, p. 347.
+ The cave and kitchen midden are described in Gabb's account of the topography and geology of Santo Domingo. Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc, n.s., vol.15, pp. 14e-147. 1873.
JMam. Fos. Argent., pi. 6, fig. 3 c.
§Rep. Princeton Univ. Exped. Patagonia, vol. 5 (paleont. 2), pi. 66, fig. 21.
11— PROC. Biol. Soc. Wash.. Vol. XXIX. 1916. (47)
48 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
REMAINS OF TWO SPECIES OF CAPROMYS FROM ANCIENT BURIAL SITES IN JAMAICA.
While the indigenous Antillean rodents of the genus Capromys are represented by several species in Cuba, only one, C. hrownii Fischer, has hitherto been found in Jamaica. Two distinct members of the genus are each represented by a toothless mandible and two femurs taken from ancient burial sites near Salt River, Jamaica, by R. C. McCormack and now in the U. S. National Museum. One of these is identical with the known living Jamaican species. The other, differing from Capromys hrownii in conspicuously smaller size (greatest length of femur without epiphysis about 56 mm. instead of about 68 mm., lower toothrow 16. -4 instead of 19.4) and in the obviously reduced condition of the third lower molar, I am unable to distinguish from C. thoracaius (True) of Little Swan Island. Whether ornot this apparent identity is due merely to the incompleteness of the individuals represented by the Jamaican specimens, and what such identity might mean should it ever be proved to exist, are questions that can not now be answered; but in any event the discovery of these smaller bones in Jamaica is an interesting fact.
— Gerrit S. Miller, Jr.
THE FIRST NEW ZEALAND CRINOID.
Prof. AVilliam B. Benham, of the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, has been so kind as to submit to me for determination the first crinoid ever discovered in New Zealand waters.
It was collected by Mr. Percy Seymour from a row-boat in about 15-20 feet of water at Preservation Inlet on the west coast of the South (or Middle) Island. Three specimens in all were secured.
Of the fauna of Preservation Inlet Professor Benham writes: " From the same locality some Hydrocorallines and Antipatharians were ob- tained, and a Pennatulid, all of which are 'Australian ' in their affinities. The fauna of the west coast of New Zealand is little known, but it differs considerably from that of the east, south, or north coasts of the island. The west coast is difficult to get at and is only sparsely inhabited, and few of us naturalists have been able to collect there except very superfi- cially and sporadically, as boats only visit Preservation Inlet very irregu- larly, and once there one never knows how long one might be compelled to stay, as there is no road across the forest clad mountains."
It is interesting to note that this crinoid belongs to a species charac- teristic of, and confined to, southern and southeastern Australia and Tasmania, Comanthus (Cenolia} trichoptera (J. Miiller).*
The twenty-eight arms of the specimen sent by Professor Benham are 115 mm. long; the centrodorsal is large, thick-discoidal, the dorsal pole broad and flat, with the centre depressed ; the cirri are XL-L, 24-27 (usually 26-27), 22 mm. to 25 mm. long.
The relatively long cirri, which are composed of more immerous seg- ments than the cirri of the typical form, would appear to indicate that this specimen represents a recognizable variety, probably peculiar to New Zealand, for which I propose the name Comanthus trichojdera benhami. The type specimen is the property of the University of Otago.
— Austin H. Clark.
* See " Recent Crinoids of Australia," Sydney, 1911, p. 755.
General Notes 49
IDENTIFICATION OF A SUPPOSEDLY ANOMALOUS ECHINODERM.*
In 1902 Dr. Hubert Lyman Clark described, under the title of "An Extraordinary Animal," f a very curious creature, evidently an echi- noderm, which he was unable to place satisfactorily. He says that "it probably is an echinoderm, but whether an echinoid or a holothurian I am unable to decide * * * xhe whole external appearance of the lower part of the animal is * * * quite similar to the body of the holothurians, Sphxrothuria or Echinocucumis. But the spines when examined under the microscope appear more like echinoid spines * * * There can be little doubt that the specimen is a monstrosity, but of what? My own opinion is that it is a holothurian, related to Sphserothuria, but the spines and the 'digestive tube' (?) are very much like those of an echinoid. — The most puzzling question to me is, how did an animal with apparently no mouth or aims and no means of locomotion reach such a considerable size ?"
The specimen is preserved in the U. S. National Museum (Cat. No. 19,899) and, as it seemed to me desirable to identify it positively if possible, I recently undertook an independent study of it.
As Doctor Clark's description is not quite accurate in certain details, I offer the following supplementary notes.
General Form. — The specimen is composed of two quite distinct portions, a larger, ovoid in outline with the greater diameter 13 mm. and the lesser 11.5 mm., in end view circular, 11.5 mm. in diameter; and a smaller, broken away on one side, consisting of a very irregular half cylinder with the ends more or less in-curved, measuring 12 mm. in length and 5.5 mm. in width, which is attached to one side of the larger part in the direction of the longer axiis, nearer the smaller than the larger end. The border of the larger part opposite the attachment of the smaller is slightly flattened.
Covering of the Larger Part.— The larger portion is entirely enclosed in irregular polygonal plates of various sizes, each of which bears from one to six (usually from one to three) jointed spines, and a few in addition a pedicellaria, which superficially resembles a short, small rounded-conical spine. The spines, most of which are broken, appear to be cylindrical, with a more or less abrupt conical tip. W^ithin the area delimited by the smaller part and the missing portion the investment consists of a smooth pavement of very irregular polygonal plates which are somewhat smaller than those of the free wall.
Covering of the Smaller Part. — The smaller portion is composed, insofar as it is preserved, of six columns of narrow elongate plates which carry long spines, longer than the spines on the surface of the larger part, in a single median row, but no pedicellarise. The six columns are webbed by perisome, which may carry a few additional plates. Extending laterally from the first and sixth of these columns are two horizontal rows of
• Published with the permission of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. t Zool. Anzeiger, vol. 25, 1902, pp. 509-511. fig. p. 510.
50 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
similar plates, the more distal of which lie about half way from the base to the outer edge of the entire smaller portion as viewed laterally. On both sides the surface is torn away in the angle between tlie outermost of the vertical columns, and the uppermost of the horizontal rows. To the left the horizontal rows terminate in a torn edge; to the right they become lost in a maze of plates similar to those of the surface of the larger portion.
Inner Structure of the Larger Part. — The larger portion is a completely enclosed sac, showing no evidence of communication either with the exterior or with the interior of the smaller portion. Within it I can find nothing but a thick irregular lining of connective tissue, on the surface of which is an elongate depression, evidently mistaken by Dr. Clark for the lumen of a digestive tube.
Inner Structure of the Smaller Part. — The interior of the smaller portion is mostly occupied by gonads, lying along its longer axis. But I also found a relatively large sac-like structure and part of another near the broken end of the columns.
Identification of the Specimen.— The features which offer the greatest possibilities for the determination of the specimen are ( 1 ) the arrange- ment of the plates on both the larger and the smaller portions, (2) the character and distribution of the spines, and (3) the character and dis- tribution of the pedicellarise.
The pedicellarife are of the type found in the Brisingidse.
The arrangement of the plates on the larger portion and the distribution of the spines and of the pedicellarise on these plates, as well as the character of the spines, are identical with the same features in certain species of Brinnga.
The arrangement of the columns of plates in the smaller portion, and the character of these plates and of the spines which they bear, are exactly duplicated in the arm bases of certain species of Brisinga.
Furthermore the gonads, which are very B rising a-\\\iQ, lie in the same relation to these plates that they do to the dorsal arm plates of the species of Brisinga ; and the sac-like structures are very like the rather large Brisinga ampullae.
As all the tangible characters of the specimen are identical with com- parable characters in the genus Brisinga, and are not duplicated in any other genus of echinoderms, least of all in the echinoids and holothurians, it seems evident that we are dealing with a large cyst-like outgrowth from the base of a Brisinga arm.
A large species of Brisinga, in its details agreeing perfectly with com- parable features of the specimen, was taken at the same dredge-haul; furthermore, many of the specimens of this Brisinga bore cyst-like out- growths on the arm bases containing a curious type of degenerate mollusc.
There can be not the slightest doubt that this supposedly anomalous echinoderm type is merely a detached cyst, with part of the dorsal surface of the arms and the underlying gonads, from the species of Brisinga dredged at "Albatross" Station 3342, from which the parasite has been removed. — Austin H. Clark.
Vol. XXIX, pp. 51-62 April 4, 1916
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON .
SIX NEW STARFISHES FROM THE GULF OF CALI- FORNIA AND ADJACENT WATERS.*
BY AUSTIN H. CLARK.
The zoogeographic region which extends from Peru north- ward to and including the Gulf of California and the southern portion of the Pacific coast of the peninsula of Lower California is very remarkable not only on account of the relatively large number of peculiar genera which occur therein, but also because of the curious relationships which the endemic species show to others in southeastern Australia, the Hawaiian Islands, the Mediterranean, and the Caribbean Sea, in addition to their relationships with types occurring in Oceania and in the Malayan region .
A considerable amount of work has been done here, both by shore collectors and, in deep water, by the "Albatross " ; yet it is clear that there is still a great amount to be accomplished, for many types which should occur here are as yet unknown, while others have not been seen since they were first recorded, some of them more than half a century ago.
Of the six species herein described Sideriaster canaliculatvs is related, more or less closely, to S. grandis, known from a single specimen from the Gulf of Mexico; Saraster insignis is related to other types in the eastern north Pacific; Anthenea mexicana is related, though not very closely, to other species of the genus in Australia, India and China; Narcissia gracilis is related to two Atlantic forms, one of which occurs in the Gulf of Mexico; Echinaster parvispinus is related to other species of the genus in the Malayan region ; while Cyllaster seminuda finds its nearest counterpart in the Hawaiian Islands.
• Published with permission of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. 12— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash.. Vol. XXIX. 1916. 151)
52 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
These new species will be figured and further discussed in a paper dealing with the fauna of the region based upon the recently determined material in the U. S. National Museum, where figures of such rare forms as Acanthaster ellisii (Gray) and Leiaster teres Verrill, which the Museum also possesses from the Gulf of California, will also be included.
Family ASTROPECTINID^ Gray. Sideriaster canaliculata new species.
Five arms; R=64 mm.; r=19 mm.; R:r=3.4:l; width of ray at base (measured from the interradial line) 22 mm.; superomarginals 45.
General form stellate ; disk medium sized ; rays tapering evenly to a blunt extremity.
Gonads confined to the interradial portion of the disk, not extending out along the rays.
There are well developed superambulacral plates.
The paxillse are closely placed, though not crowded, and are remark- ably uniform in size, those adjacent to the superomarginals being only slightly smaller than those in the radial line of the arms, and the latter similarly only slightly larger than those in the center of the disk.
A large paxilla from the radial region at the base of the arms has a rather low thick stalk supporting a crown consisting of from six to ten (most commonly seven, rarely more than eight) stout blunt radiating spines, with frequently one or two (rarely more) additional much smaller and shorter spines between them, and from one to four (most commonly one or two) short stout round-tipped spines, resembling the radiating spines but shorter, at the summit. The radiating spines are about as long as the column of the paxilla is high.
The large prominent exposed madreporite is situated exactly midway between the center of the disk and the interbrachial margin. It is circular, 3.5 mm. in diameter, and bears numerous more or less complete septa extending from the periphery a greater or lesser distance toward the center. It presents a most striking similarity to a coral polyp.
Papulee, regularly six about each plate, occur uninterruptedly across the arms.
The superomarginals are short and broad; in the interbrachial arc they are wedge-shaped, about half as long at tlie actinal as at the abactinal end, 5 mm. wide and 1 mm. long at the well rounded abactinal border; they are evenly curved, the arc of the curvature making an angle of about 60° with the plane of the disk ; gradually they become more oblong and increase in length to the fifth and following, which have parallel sides and are noticeably larger than those in the interbrachial arc ; on the arms they become more recumbent, lying mostly on the abactinal surface, though still with a uniform curve from the actinal to the abactinal border.
The superomarginals bear on their outer surface usually three (some-
Clark — Six New Starfishes from the Gulf of California. > 53
times two or four) alternating rows of short stubby well spaced truncated spines which increase slightly in diameter from the base to the broad nearly flat tip, and are about as high as, or slightly higher than, their basal diameter ; in the interbrachial arc there are about twelve of these spines to a row, and on the outer part of the arms eight or nine; those in the median row are slightly larger than those in the lateral rows. The channels between the superomarginals are filled with very numerous short very slender spinelets w'hich are almost or quite concealed from view by the outermost rows of spines on their outer surface.
The line of union between the superomarginals and the inferomarginals is slightly sunken.
The inferomarginals correspond to the superomarginals, which in general they resemble ; but in addition to the armature as described for the latter they possess on the outer border of the actinal surface, or more or less below the middle of the plate, a broad extremely flattened truncated spatulate spine from 1 mm. to 1.5 mm. in length, about half as broad as long or even shorter, increasing more or less in length from the base to the tip, with more or less convex sides. In the interbrachial arc there may be two or even three of these spines to a single inferomarginal ; beyond the proximal third of the arm they become smaller, at the middle of the arm being but little larger than the short spines covering the outer surface of the plate, soon after disappearing altogether.
The actinal intermediate areas are moderate in size; the plates are arranged in regular series running from the inferomarginals to the corres- ponding adambulacrals ; an unpaired line of plates runs from the mouth plates about half way to the marginals. A single series of actinal inter- mediate plates extends to the twentieth inferomarginal, a second to the twelfth, and a third to the seventh. These actinal intermediate plates are narrow, with deep channels between the rows which are filled with small slender spinules similar to, but fewer and coarser than, the spines filling the channels between the marginals. Each plate bears on its actinal surface usually from four to eight short truncated spines, similar to those on the marginals but more spaced, and of various sizes instead of uniform, or nearly uniform, size. All of the plates bordering the adambulacral and mouth plates, and a few of the others, bear pedicel- larise, usually with three or four jaws.
The adambulacral plates bear on their sharply angular furrow margin three broad and strongly flattened spines. The innermost of these, situated at the apex of the angle, is slightly recurved, and is flattened transversely to the furrow ; the spines on either side of this are straight, slightly less broad, and the axis of their flattening is parallel with the edge of the plate so that they make an angle of 30° with the axis of flattening of the median spine, or of 60° with each other. Behind these is a row of two or three similar flattened spines, the axis of the flattening being parallel with the furrow ; but one or both of the outer of these may turn more or less so as to form supplementary furrow spines, and the central one may become enlarged, especially toward the end ol the ray. Beyond these is a row of two similar, but smaller spines. The grooves
54 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
between the plates are filled with slender spines resembling those in the grooves between the marginals.
The mouth plates are narrow; the furrow margin is short, witli apparently five flattened spines which decrease in length outwardly and resemble those of the furrow series on the adambulacrals, but are more slender; the margin adjoining the adambulacrals bears five or six much shorter spines of diminishing length ; just within these there are five or six longer and stouter spines, also of diminishing length. The sutural edge bears three or four long spines corresponding to and resembling those on the distal furrow margin, abruptly changing to a series of much smaller spines before the maximum width of the plate is reached. The edge bordering the adambulacrals bears very numerous short fine spines like those bordering the adambulacrals.
Color in alcohol, brownish yellow.
Type.— Cat. No. 36,951, U. S. N. M., from "Albatross" Station 2998, Gulf of California, in 40 fathoms.
Family BENTHOPECTINID^ Verrill.
Saraster new genus.
Genotype. — Saraster insignis, new species.
The characters of this genus are given in the description of the type species following.
Saraster insignis new species.
Five arms; R=100 mm.; r=10 mm. (actinally) to 12 mm. (abacti- nally); R: r=8.3 to 10 : 1 ; width of ray at base (between odd interradial marginals) 15 mm. ; superomarginals 46.
General form stellate; rays broad at the base, tapering rather rapidly in the first quarter, much less rapidly from that point onward ; odd interradial marginals are present in both series in all interradii.
The gonads reach the fifth or sixth superomarginal.
The pedicels have well developed, though small, sucking disks.
The interbrachial septum is very small, membranous.
The dorsal muscle bands are not attached to a proximal ambulacral ossicle.
There are no pedicellariae.
The abactinal plates are strongly stellate, large and small intermingled, the large with a low tabulum. Each abactinal plate bears usually one, on the disk sometimes two, rarely three, long rough spines which have numerous longitudinal serrate ridges; in the center of the disk the spines may reach 5 mm. in length ; along the mid-line of the arms they remain of the same length until the end of the basal quarter, though they become more slender ; beyond this point, and along the sides of the arms, they are shorter and more slender, but the transition from the longer to the shorter spines is always very gradual. If there is more than one spine to a plate, they are usually of very difi'erent sizes. The plates of the disk
ClarTc — Six Neto Starfishes from the Gulf of California. 55
and arm bases commonly have from three to six very small spines of different sizes about the bases of the larger.
The papul?e are large, abundant, and conspicuous, occurring all over the abactinal surface to within 20 mm. of the tips of the arms; they are slightly smaller in the mid-radial line of the arms and in the center of the disk than elsewhere.
The madreporite is oval, measuring 4 mm. by 3 mm., the longer diameter radial; the surface is elevated, high, evenly convex, covered with numerous fine irregular ridges ; its center is one-third of the distance between the odd interradial superomarginal and the center of the disk.
The odd interradial superomarginal is six sided ; the abactinal and the two adjacent sides are of about the same length ; the former is slightly concave, and the two latter are produced into a slight spine at the lower angles ; the proximal border, adjoining the odd interradial inferomarginal, is about as long as the opposite side, straight, or slightly convex; the two lower lateral sides are about twice as long as the others, slightly concave. The abactinal surface of the plate within the outer face is produced into a rounded tubercle, not especially conspicuous, which bears on its outer side (not on its summit) a rough spine only slightly larger than the large spines of the disk, directed outward and more or less downward.
The superomarginals are low and long, mostly about twice as long as broad; the first is iri*egularly polygonal or quadrate, about as long as broad ; the following are irregularly rhombic with the distal and proximal angles truncated; the suture between the adjacent superomarginals slants strongly inward, the abactinal end being more distal than the actinal. Each superomarginal bears in its upper two-thirds, springing from a common elevation, two slender spines, one directly above the other; the uppermost is the longer, resembling the long spines of the center of the disk but somewhat more slender ; the lower is shorter and more slender ; in the outer half of the arms the latter disappears. The common elevated base bearing these spines carries a few spinules.
The odd inferomarginal is elongated dorso-ventrally ; the actinal third lies on the actinal surface, while the abactinal two-thirds stands almost vertically, forming with the corresponding superomarginal the side wall of the interbrachial arc. Viewed laterally the odd interradial infero- marginal appears six-sided ; the actinal side, forming the border between the actinal and abactinal surfaces, is about twice as long as the other sides, which are all of equal length ; that part of the plate which lies on the actinal surface is approximately semicircular, with two slight tubercles midway between the midradial point and the point of union with the adjacent inferomarginals. The plate bears a vertical median column of three slender spines of which the uppermost, situated in the center of the lateral surface, is 3 mm. long; the next, situated on the lateral surface just at the actinolateral border, is of about the same size; the third, situ- ated just beyond the center of the actinal surface, is much smaller.
At first the inferomarginals are slightly displaced distally, but after the proximal fourth of the arm they correspond to the superomarginals; in the proximal fourth of the arm they resemble the superomarginals in
56 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
size and shape, but distally they are somewhat smaller. The upper border of the inferomarginals imbricates sliglitly over the lower border of the corresponding superomarginals. Each inferomarginal bears two spines, which are similar to those borne by the snperomarginals.
The actinal intermediate plates are two (rarely three) in number, rounded, suspended in perisome just beyond the two tubercles on the inner border of the odd interradial marginals, or just distal to the outer angles of the mouth plates.
The adambulacral plates are slightly longer than broad ; their distal and proximal borders are parallel, oblique, slanting adorally toward the furrow ; the furrow border forms a prominent angle with a rounded apex and concave sides. The first adambulacral plate is separated from the odd interradial inferomarginal by the actinal intermediate plate; the second adjoins the first inferomarginal ; the third lies across the suture between the first and second inferomarginals ; from this point onward the adambulacrals, slightly more numerous than the inferomarginals, sometimes correspond, sometimes alternate, with them. The armature consists of two, rarely three, small slender spines situated side by side at the apex of the angle on the extreme inner edge well within the furrow ; behind these, on the inner edge of the plate as viewed actinally, a much larger spine, resembling those on the inferomarginals, though very slightly smaller and less stout.
The mouth plates bear three long spines along the furrow which de- crease rapidly in size outwardly; on the actinal surface of the plates, within the outermost of these, there is a single spine resembling the longest of the furrow series.
Color in alcohol dull gray, below white.
Type.— C&t. No. 36,895, U. S. N. M., from "Albatross" Station 2992, off Clarion Island, Lower California, in 460 fathoms.
Family GONIASTERID^ Forbes.
Subfamily Anthenein^ Fisher.
Anthenea mexicana new species.
Five arms; R=54 mm. ; r=24 mm. ; R: r=2.2o: 1 ; superomarginals 13 or 14.
Form stellate, with the interbrachial arcs and the tips of the rays well rounded. At the ends the arms are abruptly upturned so that the tips stand vertically.
The outline of the dorsal plates, which are flat and not tumid, is more or less concealed. These plates bear distinct, usually cylindrical, tuber- cles, which are arranged in regular rows parallel to the mid-radial line of the arms. The most prominent of these tubercles are in two rows, one on either side of the mid- radial line, about 3 mm. apart at the widest point, which run from a point half way between the center of the disk and the arm base almost to the arm tip ; the slightly sunken naked area between these rows (occupying the mid-radial line of the arm) decreases very slightly in width toward the arm tip. Beyond these rows on either
Clark — Six New Starfishes from the Gulf of California . 57
side is another parallel row of somewhat smaller tubercles which runs from a point on the side of the interradial furrow half way between the center of the disk and the margin of the superomarginals to the level of the fourth or fifth superomarginal, where it disappears; these lateral rows are about as far from the median rows as the latter are apart. Beyond these long lateral rows on either side is a short lateral row arising on the border of the interradial furrow about two-thirds of the distance from the center of the disk to the superomarginals, and running to the level of the distal border of the second superomarginal.
Shallow, rather broad, furrows extend from the apical region of the disk to near the superomarginals; these are more or less petaloid in shape, and are 4 mm. in maximum diameter, half way between the center of the disk and the superomarginals ; these furrows are bordered with a more or less irregular and indistinct row of tubercles, and carry within the groove three pairs of large low tubercles.
Many of the abactinal plates carry pedicellarise which, however, seem to be absent from the arms.
The madreporic body is small, about 2.5 mm. in diameter, with rather coarse strife.
The superomarginals decrease regularly in width to the arm bases, then remaining of practically the same width to near the ends of the arms; they are slightly tumid, and their surface is covered with well spaced, rather high, tubercular granules ; except for a few of the terminal, each bears a pedicellaria.
The inferomarginals correspond to the superomarginals, which they resemble in all ways except in being slightly wider, and in not decreasing perceptibly in width until near the tip of the arms; all of them bear pedicellarise.
The actinal intermediate plates are numerous, and are arranged in rows between the marginals and the adambulacrals; they bear very numerous well spaced globular tubercles ; toward the periphery of the actinal surface these tubercles become smaller, and merge into the tuber- cles covering the inferomarginals. Nearly all of the actinal intermediate plates bear the characteristic pedicel larise; these are largest on the plates bordering the adambulacrals, where they occur in a diagonal position, their long axis coinciding with that of the series of plates of which the plates bearing them are a part; further from the ambulacra) grooves the pedicellaripe become smaller and more irregular in orientation, though most of them have their long axis parallel to that of the series including the plate which bears them.
The adambulacral plates are apparently about as long as broad ; the furrow border is slightly curved; they carry five or six (usually five) furrow spines, graduated in height from the small and short outer to the long and stout strongly flattened central, which increase in diameter and end in a rounded tip. These plates, especially near the mouth, may carry a small pedicellaria on the proximal (adoral) border. Within the series of furrow spines there is a series of three stout spines, the central much the largest, parallel to the furrow; beyond this, and spaced from
58 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
it, there is a series of tliree much smaller and shorter spines, not greatly larger than the granular spines of the actinal intermediate plates, from which they are separated by a narrrow bare area.
The mouth plates have seven stout spines on the furrow border, which decrease very slightly in length ; within the distal portion of the furrow border are two much stouter spines, and just within the apex another similar to these; along the inner margin of the plates is a row of five or six spines similar to these, but shorter.
Type.— Gat. No. 38,318, U. S. N. M., from the west coast of Mexico.
Family LINCKIID^ Perkier. Narcissia gracilis new species.
Five arms; R=54 mm.; r=8.6 mm. ; R:r=6.3:l; height to apex of abactinal region 7 mm. ; width of arms at base 10 mm.
General form stellate, with long slender regularly tapering rays, up- turned at the tip ; the body is low, the maximum height being less than the diameter of the arms at their base ; the arm section at the base is low, rounded triangular.
The center of the abactinal surface is occupied by a mass of plates of different sizes in which the primary plates can usually be distinguished. From this central mass of plates there runs down the mid-line of each of the arms a prominent series of elongate polygonal plates bordered on either side by a row of much smaller plates beyond which is another row of larger plates, which are nearly as large as the plates in the mid-radial series. At the middle of the arm the series of small plates on either side of the carinal series disappears, and the carinal series merges with the large plates of the series beyond, the three series combining to form a broad dorsal band of irregularly arranged subequal polygonal plates.
In the proximal half of the arm many, or most, of the plates in the carinal row and in the rows of larger plates on either side of it bear pedicellariae, but these are absent in the outer half of the arm.
Between the rows of large plates on either side of the carinal series in the proximal half of the arm and the dorsal band of large plates in the distal half of the arm, and the superomarginals, there are five rows of plates decreasing very slowly in size from above (abactinally) downward; of these rows the lowest reaches only to the third-fifth superomarginal, the second reaches to the fifth-eighth, and the third reaches the eighth- twelfth; the fourth and fifth, distally becoming more or less irregular, persist nearly to the tip of the arm. The last thirteen-fifteen supero- marginals are in contact with the mid-dorsal band of large plates.
The madreporite is small, circular, 1.5 mm. in diameter, situated mid- way between the center of the dorsal surface and the interbrachial angle.
The anus is rather prominent, excentric, protected by short stout spines.
Single papulse occur in the angles between all the abactinal plates, ex- cepting between the plates in the broad dorsal band in the distal half of the arm, where they are rare. There are no actinal papulae.
Clark — Six New Starfishes from the Gulf of California. 59
Pedicellariee are only exceptionally present on the smaller abactinal plates.
Superomarginals and inferomarginals large and prominent, of equal size, rounded oblong, slightly longer than broad, in the distal quarter of the arm becoming squarish and at the tip slightly broader than long. The two series correspond except at the upturned arm tip. As far as the distal third or fourth of the arm each superomarginal, and several of the inferomarginals, bears a delicate pedicellaria with two long and very slender jaws ending in a palmate tip which lies in a slit-like groove on the surface of the plate.
Intermarginal papulae occur in the proximal half or two-thirds of the arms.
Between the inferomarginals and the adambulacrals there are several rows of actinal intermediate plates ; the first of these, adjoining the adambulacrals, is composed of plates which at first are not much inferior to the latter in size, though in the outer half of the arm their size slowly diminishes; this row extends to the fifth or sixth inferomarginal from the end of the ray; most of the plates in the middle half of the row bear pedicellarise like those of the marginals; above this is a second row of slightly smaller plates which extends to the seventh inferomarginal; a third row of still smaller plates reaches to the fourth inferomarginal, while above this last are two additional rows, one of which reaches the third, the other the second, inferomarginal ; except in the first row none of these plates bear pedicellarise.
The adambulacral plates are oblong, at first about twice as broad as long, decreasing slightly in length distally, and increasing again termi- nally ; the plates in this series are separated from each other by prominent grooves. The furrow spines are four, becoming three in' the distal half of the arm ; they are triangular in cross section, the sharpest apex of the triangle being directed toward the center of the furrow border of the plate which bears them ; the most proximal is the stoutest, and the two median are the most slender.
Beyond the furrow series there are three rows each composed of three short truncated spines which are triangular or polygonal in section; the innermost row, bordering the furrow spines, is somewhat curved, and is placed somewhat obliquely so that the distal end is nearer the furrow than the proximal ; the spines of the outermost row are scarcely dis- tinguishable from the granular investment of the body surface.
The mouth plates are triangular; each bears from seven to nine stout prismatic spines on the ambulacral border; on the common actinal surface of each pair there are from eight to ten stout prismatic spines which decrease in size outwardly.
The whole body is covered with closely packed fine hemispherical or polygonal granules which entirely conceal the outlines of the underlying plates; the only breaks in this granular covering are the papular pores and the narrow elongate grooves in which lie the pedicellariae.
The color in alcohol is light yellowish, or dark brown.
Type.— CRt. No. :3S,317, U. S. N. :^.I., from "Albatross" Station 2829, off Lower California, in 31 fathoms.
60 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
Family ECHINASTERID^ Verrill. Echinaster parvispinus new species.
Five arras; R=53mm.; r=10mm.; R:r=5.3:l.
The arms are robust, evenly tapering.
Tlie abactinal plates are tliick and heavy, but relatively small, arranged in three regular rows along the dorsal (abactinal) surface of the arms, with three additional irregular rows between the outermost of the dorsal rows and the superomarginals. The three dorsal rows of plates, which are about 2 mm. apart, form three rather prominent narrow and irregular ridges, and bear numerous short conical or cylindrical, sometimes capitate, jointed spines, usually two or three to a plate, which rarely reach 1 mm. in height, in an irregular zigzag series ; in the carinal row there are about forty-five of these spines from the base to the tip of the arm.
The plates of the lateral rows are somewhat less regular in disposition, and are less elevated. The spines which they bear are more slender than the spines of the three median series, though not much smaller; this, combined with the lesser elevation of the plates, serves to make the lateral plates and spines noticeably less conspicuous than the median. The plates in these lateral rows are more numerous than those in the median, there being four in the former to three in the latter. In the lateral rows there is only one spine to a plate.
The center of the abactinal area bears scattered spines which are similar to those of the three median rows on the arms.
The madreporite is oval, about 2 mm. in the greater diameter, bearing short peripheral spines.
Papulfe are very abundant, in alcoholic specimens often appearing to form broad continuous lines which extend the whole length of the arms between the rows of spines. Single intermarginal papulfe may occur, especially toward the ends of the arms.
The superomarginals, which form a continuous band all along the arm, are irregular in shape, longer than broad; their spines, one to a plate, form a regular line all along the arm, and are similar in character to the spines on the plates above.
The inferomarginals proximally bear two (rarely three) spines similar to those of the superomarginals in a transverse series, these becoming reduced to one in the outer half of the arms.
In the actinal interradial areas only the spines of the inferomarginal series occur; these are commonly much reduced in size, and sometimes obsolete.
On the adambulacral plates the furrow series consists of three spines; the first of these is very small, recurved, situated on the inner face of the plate near the bottom of the groove ; the next is nearly or quite twice as long, slender, situated half way up on the inner face, and the third is much stouter than the two preceding, situated on the inner border of the plate. Behind this third spine is another much smaller spine on the actinal surface of the plate.
Color in alcohol usually dark purplish or reddish brown, sometimes light pink.
Clark — Six New Starfishes frovi the Gulf of California. 61
Type.— Cat. No. 36,893, U. S. N. M., from "Albatross" Station 3021, Gulf of California, 14 fathoms.
Cyllaster new genus.
Genotype. — Cyllaster seminuda, new species.
The disk is very small.
The rays are slender (R=6r to 8.3r), usually subcylindrical, very flexible, usually arising somewhat abruptly from the disk; that is, there is usually a more or less straight, though short, interbrachial border.
The abactinal skeleton is more or less open, or aborted.
The papulae are isolated, very large and conspicuous.
The marginal plates are more or less imperfectly developed and irreg- ular, or absent altogether.
The adambulacral plates have from two to six sabre-shaped spines on the furrow face; the actinal surface is densely packed with from twenty to forty spines or spinules, all long, or one or two rows bordering the furrow long, the remainder short.
This genus is very closely related to Henricia; it includes, in addition to the type, Cyllaster polyacantha (Fisher), C. clarki (Fisher), and C. pauperrima (Fisher), all of which were originally described as Henricia.
Cyllaster seminuda new species.
Five arms; R=about 50 mm. ; r=6 mm. ; R:r=8.3: 1.
The arms are very long, slender, approximately cylindrical, and very flexible; there are no marginals in either series.
The abactinal skeleton is very greatly reduced. A continuous line of very narrow elongate plates runs along the mid-dorsal line from the base of the arms to the tip; it does not extend onto the disk. Between this median line and the region normally occupied by marginals is a widely open, exceedingly irregular, meshwork of narrower and smaller plates; within the spaces between the narrow lines forming this mesh- work are numerous granules. Exteriorly the plates and the granules bear numerous fine spines, those on the granules being usually one or two in number, though sometimes more, according to their size, those on the plates being irregularly distributed, on the mid-dorsal line showing a tendency to grouping. The skeleton becomes somewhat more dense at the arm tips. The disk and arm bases carry a few small detached plates and numerous spiniferous granules.
The interradial areas of the disk actinally have an irregular median column of very narrow plates which resembles the line of plates running down the midline of the arms, and numerous relatively large widely spaced granules, which become suddenly smaller and more numerous toward the abactinal surface.
Between the adambulacrals and the outer (actinal) border of the dorsal meshwork, covering the region normally occupied by the marginals, is a band occupied solely by very numerous minute spiniferous granules.
The madreporite is large, oval, with a few coarse irregular striae situ-
62 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
ated on the border of the disk as viewed abactinally; it bears a few small spinelets about its border.
The papulee are very large, abundant, and conspicuous, covering the dorsal surface of the disk and arms, and the lateral surfaces of the latter; on the sides of the arms they are arranged in regular diagonal lines; in the midradial region of the arms and on the disk their arrangement is irregular.
There are no traces of any plates between the adambulacrals and the actinal border of the dorsal meshwork.
The adambulacral plates at first are about twice as broad as long, be- coming about as long as broad after the proximal third of the arm ; each of these plates is separated from its neighbors by a distinct interval or suture.
The adambulacral plates bear within the furrow three long and very slender spines situated one above the other ; on the furrow margin there are usually three longer and stouter spines, forming a furrow comb; these may be arranged with the central one in advance, or they may (more rarely) stand in a diagonal line with the outermost nearest the center of the furrow ; the innermost spine on the furrow margin ( whether the first or the second) is directly over the slender furrow spine. The typical arrangement seems to be, middle one in advance, proximal one slightly behind it, distal one considerably behind it. The middle one, which is larger than the others, is more or less sabre-shaped. The actinal surface of the plate is studded with small spinelets which are irregular in position.
The mouth plates are large and, owing to the absence of actinal inter- mediate, or other except adambulacral, plates, very conspicuous. The mouth spine.s are five in number, resembling the spines on the border of the adambulacrals. On the outermost angle, deep in the furrow, are two more spines, much smaller and more slender, of which the proximal is opposite the fifth of the furrow series, and the distal, which is slightly smaller, is situated slightly beyond. The inner half of the mouth plates is covered with small spinules, but the distal half is naked.
Color in alcohol brownish white.
Type.—Ga.i. No. 38,316, U. S. N. M., from "Albatross" Station 2993, oflF the Revillagigedo Islands, Lower California, in 364 fathoms.
Tol. XXIX, pp. 63-70 April 4, 1916
PROCEEDINGS
or THE
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
THE GENERIC STATUS OF CHRYSANTHRAX OSTEN
SACKEN.
[BOMBYLIID^, DiPTERA,] BY J. R. MALLOCH.
The subgenus Chrysanthrax was erected by Osten Sacken for the reception of Anthrax falvohirta Wiedemann and three allied species.* Subsequently the genotype was fixed by Coquillett as fulvohirta, a species widely distributed throughout North America. t The characters used by Osten Sacken in defining the subgenus, while rather minute and apparently trivial, ap- pear to be correlated with characters of the pupa that warrant the acceptance of them as of generic value. According to the definition of Osten Sacken the distinguishing characters of the imagines are the fulvous pile on the thorax, and often a golden - fulvous tomentum on the abdomen; the dark brown antero- proximal half of the wings — without any paler aureoles on the cross veins within the brown ; the punctiform contact of the fourth posterior and discal cells; the smooth tibiae; the taper- ing and indistinctly jointed front tarsi, beset on both sides with delicate erect hairs; the small front claws; the cone-shaped third antennal joint, merging into a style; the short conical face, etc.
Through the kindness of Mr. Otto Swezey, of Honolulu, I have been able to examine the empty pupal skin of a specimen of Julvohirta reared as a secondary parasite from Elis sexcincta, a primary parasite of white-grubs. This pupa presents charac-
• Biol. Cent. Amer , Vol. 1, 1886, p. 121.
+ Type Species of North American Diptera, Proc. U. S.Nat. Mus., Vol.37, 1912, p. 523.
13— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XXIX, 1916. (63)
64 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
ters that appear to me quite sufficient to warrant the generic separation of Chrysanthrax from Hyalanthrax, and very probably there are just as good characters available in the pupae of the other so-called subgenera which are as yet unknown in the pupal stages. It is necessary to indicate that in my paper, recently published, on this group I retained the generic name Anthrax for the two species of Hyalanthrax therein described — hypomelas and lateralis.* These two species and another that I have since obtained are primary parasites, and in this respect differ from fulvohirta, but I do not purpose suggesting that the species be separated generically on this account. There is in the structure of the head capsule of the two species a very great difference, and it is upon this character that the groups are entitled to generic and not subgeneric separation. The num- ber and strength of the thorns which are present upon the head capsule of pupae of different genera of Nematocera, or the armature of the thoracic and abdominal segments are indices in great measure of the pupal habitats of the species that bear them. The cephalic spines are not only shields or sheaths for the antennae or other cephalic appendages, but are retained and used as instruments to assist in the work of emerging from the ground or other habitat — a process undertaken by the imago of this group before it leaves the pupal skin. In the paper just cited I have stated that I consider the absence of cephalic armature in the Tahanid* and its presence in the Asilidse to be due to the fact that the former are normally present only in soil that is damp or sandy and easily pene- trated, while the latter iAsihis et aL) are almost invariably found in soil that is dry and much more compact. There is, therefore, a greater need for strong armature on the head in Asilidffi than there is in Tabanida?, though both have abdomi- nal locomotor spines. It is probably unnecessary for me to emphasize this fact further, but it may be of interest to restate the fact that the pupae of the Cyrtidse have neither cephalic armature nor abdominal spines, neither being requisite for the emergence of the imago as the larvae are parasitic in spiders; and it is certainly interesting to discover that there is in con- junction with the different larval hosts of the species of Chrysanthrax and Hyalanthrax a coincident difference in pupal
* Bull. 111. state Lab. Nat. Hist., Vol. XI, Art. 4. 1915, pp. 332-334.
Malloch — The Generic Status of Chrysanthrax Osten Sacken. 65
structure. All three species of the latter genus that I have seen are internal primary parasites in lepidopterous or cole- opterous larvae which do not spin tough cocoons, and all of them have the cephalic armature very similar, consisting of a pair of stout upper processes — which are contiguous at base and have the apices somewhat flattened but not thorn-like — a small lateral tubercle, and a similar small one on the central line near the lower margin. On the other hand, Chrysanthrax fulvohirta is parasitic upon a hymenopteron that spins a very tough cocoon, and in order that the imago of the fly may emerge therefrom it has the cephalic armature adapted to the purpose of cutting its way out. The upper pair of processes are widely separated at base and are thorn-like, their apices being sharp and slightly downwardly directed ; the lateral thorn is about as large as either of the upper pair and of similar structure ; the pair on the central line near the lower margin are similar to those of Hyalanthrax. It will be seen from the foregoing that the differences in the pupae are quite as great as are those between other genera in this family and even more distinct than the differences between some of the genera in Asilidee.
I give herewith a synopsis of the difference between the pupae of the genera of Bombyliidse known to me, and descriptions of those which I have not previously dealt with. The great ma- jority of the pupae of this family may be distinguished at a glance from those of Asilidee, which they most nearly resemble, by the armature of the body. The Asilidse known to me have invariably the transverse abdominal armature in the form of stout spines which are usually alternately large and small in each series. In all the pupae of Bombyliidse which I have seen this armature consists of very short, flattened thorns which are occasionally reflexed at bases and apices, and usually ap- pear to be attached to, rather than a part of, the segment upon which they are located. Another character that at present seems to be of great value in separating the families is found in the structure of the lateral cephalic thorn (antennal sheath). In Asilida^ this consists of three to five thorns on a common base; in Bombyliidse, either of a single thorn, which may be very small, or of two distinctly separated thorns.
66 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
Key to Genera and Species.
1. Upper pair of cephalic processes thorn-like, widely separated at
bases; lateral cephalic process or processes long;, thorn-like ... 2
— Upper pair of cephalic processes stout, not thorn-like, contiguous
for the greater portion of their length ; lateral cephalic process small, tubercle-like 7
2. Antero-lateral margin of head with a single long thorn 3
— Antero-lateral margin of head with 2 long thorns, the bases of which
are contiguous 4
3. The transverse series of short thorns on abdominal segments 2-4
with their bases and apices turned up at right angles ; labrum unarmed * Spogostylum anale.
— The short thorns in transverse series on segments 2-4 turned up at
apices only ; labrum with a bifid thorn near apex
Chrysanthrax fulvohirta.
4. The short, stout thorns on abdominal segments turned up at bases
and apices Exoprosopa fasciata?
— The short, stout thorns on abdominal segments turned up at apices
only 5
5. Transverse armature of first abdominal dorsal segment consisting of
a series of short, stout thorns on middle portion, and a number
of long, slender, closely placed hairs on each side
Exoprosopa fascipennis.
— Transverse armature of first abdominal dorsal segment consisting of
a few widely placed hairs, the middle portion either entirely bare or with very slight indications of small tubercles which do not appear as distinct thorns 6
6. Lower one of the pair of lateral cephalic thorns simple apically, but
with a small wart-like protuberance at base on lower surface, the small wart bearing 2 distinct hairs; wings without discal pro- tuberances Sparnopolius fulvus .
— Lower one of the pair of lateral cephalic thorns with a short sub-
apical protuberance, the apex of thorn turned upward, base simple; wings each with a pair of protuberances, one about one- fourth from base and the other near middle . Anastoechus nilidulus.
7. Eighth ventral abdominal segment without hairs on disc
Hyalanthrax hypomelas.
— Eighth ventral abdominal segment with hairs on disc 8
8. Eighth ventral abdominal segment with 2 hairs on each side of disc;
distance from the pair of thorns on lower central portion of head to apex of basal portion of sheath of mouth parts about 4 times as great as distance from the latter to apex of proboscis ....
Hyalanthrax lateralis.
— Eighth ventral abdominal segment with 10-12 long hairs on disc;
distance from the pair of thorns on lower central portion of head
to apex of basal portion of sheath of mouth parts about twice as
great as distance from the latter to apex of proboscis
Hyalanthrax alternata.
•This genus name has been emended to Spongostylum by some European authors. (See Verrall. " British Flies." Vol. 5, 1909, p. 517.)
Malloch — The Generic Status of Chrysanthrax Osten Sacken. 67
Descriptions of Pupae. Chrysanthrax fulvohirta Wiedemann.
Anthrax fulvohirta Wiedemann, Dipt. Exot. , 1821, p. 149. Chrysayithrax fulvohirta {Wiedemsinn) Osten Sacken, Biol. Cent.Amer., Vol. 1, 1886, p. 122.
Length, 13 mm. Whitish testaceous, slightly shining, cephalic and abdominal thorns dark brown. Head with six strong thorns, the upper 4 stout, the lower central pair more slender and shorter; the hairs above bases of thorns stronger than normal ; lateral view of head as in Figure 14, anterior view as in Figure 13 ; basal section of sheath of mouth parts (labrum) with a bifid thorn near apex. Thoracic spiracle distinct, its margin formed of small bead-like swellings, the open side (i. e. the break in circle) directed backward ; discal hairs on thorax long and strong, 4 in number and in the normal positions; wing with a small subcostal protuberance about one-third from base ; wings extending to middle of second ventral abdominal segment; mid legs extending beyond wings as far as apex of fourth tarsal joint ; hind legs extending beyond wings as far as apex of second tarsal joint ; the tip of tarsi reaching to apex of fourth ventral segment; surface of thorax smooth. Abdomen with spiracles well defined, similar in form to those of thorax, the open side directed forward; first dorsal segment with 6 long bent hairs on each side of disc, the central portion without short thorns ; transverse armature of second dorsal segment consisting of rather closely placed, short, stout thorns which are reflexed at apices, do not extend to lateral margins and, except in central portion, are interspersed with long fine hairs which are carried to lateral margin; thorns progressively weaker and more widely placed on the following segments, and the hairs more numerous and rather longer until on the seventh segment they alternate witli the thorns; eighth segment with 3 short thorns and 4 long hairs; lateral margin (post-spiracular) of first segment with 7-8 long stout hairs, those on segments 2-7 more numerous and weaker; eighth segment with 4-5 hairs; ventral segments 2-7 each with a median transverse series of long hairs, each series with distinct but short interruption at middle ; eighth segment without discal hairs ; apical segment as in Figure 12, the lateral apical margins tridentate, the teeth or thorns progressively stronger from lower to upper.
The specimens from w^hich the description is drawn was sent me by Mr. Otto Swezey. It was obtained at Urbana, 111., April 25, 1914, by Mr. G. N, Wolcott, at which time it was still inside of the cocoon of Elis sexcincta, a primary parasite of Phyllophaga { Lachnosterna) spp. Mr. Swezey has recorded the occurrence of fulvohirta as a secondary parasite on Elis. The species is common throughout the greater portion of the United States and is represented in the collection here by specimens from the following Illinois localities: Havana, Dubois, St. Francisville, Mere- dosia, Topeka, Muncie, Jonesboro, Quincy, Pekin and Metropolis. The dates range from the beginning of August till September 19. There is
68 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
also in the collection a specimen from Westville, N. J., taken August 23. The southern range of the species extends into Mexico and Florida.
Anastoechus nitidulus Fabricius.
Bombylius nitidulus Fabricius, Syst. Antl., 1805, p. 132.
Systoechus nitidulus (Fabricius) Schiner, Fauna Austr., Vol. 1, 1862,
p. 63. Aanastoechus barbatus Osten Sacken, West. Dipt., Bull. U, S. Geol. and
Geogr. Surv., Vol. 3, No. 2, 1877, p. 252.
Length, 8.5 mm. Whitish testaceous, slightly shining, cephalic and abdominal thorns dark brown. Cephalic armature consisting of 8 strong thorns, the upper pair widely separated, their apices acute; lateral pair on a slight eminence, the lower one boot-shaped at apex; central pair on lower margin as long as the other pairs, their bases swollen and fused; lateral view of head as in Figure 3, anterior view as in Figure 2; pro- boscis extending to apex of wings, slightly tapering from base to apex. Surface of thorax irregularly reticulated ; spiracle of moderate size, margin raised; discal hairs weak (only one — that above anterior portion of wing- base — visible in specimen); a small, sharp, ridge-like tubercle at base of wing and two slight swellings on the disc, one about one-third from base and the other about one-third from apex, the former near costa, the latter on median line ; wings extending to middle of third ventral segment of abdomen ; hind tarsi extending to middle of fifth. First dorsal abdominal segment with one or two short hairs laterally and a few very weak, in- distinct, widely placed thorn-like elevations on central part of the transverse series ; segments 2-8 each with a very regular transverse series of short, stout thorns which stand almost upright and are interspersed with weak and exceptionally short hairs; spiracles small but distinct: post-spiracular area of first segment with 5-6 very stout and moderately long hairs ; the post-spiracular hairs on other segments weak and rather short; ventral segments except the eighth each with 3 hairs on each side of median line in a transverse median series; apical segment on each side with a strong upwardly turned thorn above and a small backwardly directed one below, as in Figure 1.
The specimen from which the foregoing description was drawn was sent me by Mr. Hyslop, of the U. S. Bureau of Entomology. The pupa was obtained under a stone at Wilbur, Washington, in the Big Bend country of that State. The larval habits are unknown.
The species was originally described from Europe and was re-described by Osten Sacken from America. Tlie synonymy is according to Coquillett, who decided from an examination of American and European examples that the species are identical. Judging from published records the species occurs in the west more commonly than in the east. The following States are mentioned by Aldrich*as those in which it is known to occur: Wyoming, Colorado, California, Massachusetts, and New Mexico.
• Cat. North Amer. Dipt., 1904, p. 237.
Malloch — The Generic Status of Chrysanthrax Osten Sacken. 69
Hyalanthrax alternata Say.
Anthrax alternata Say, Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil., Vol. 3, 1823, p. 45. Anthrax consanguinea Macquart, Dipt. Exot., Vol. 2, Pt. 1, 1841, p. 69. Anthrax scrobicidata Loew, Berl. Ent. Zeitschr., 1869, p. 24. Anthrax stenozona Loew, Berl. Ent. Zeitschr., 1869, p. 25. Hyalanthrax stenozona? Osten Sacken, Biol. Cent. Amer., Vol. 1, 1886, p. 138.
Length, 15 mm. Whitish testaceous, slightly shining, cephalic and abdominal thorns dark brown. Upper pair of cephalic processes very stout, contiguous for the greater portion of their length, their apices flattened and truncate (Fig. 7); lateral processes much larger than in lateralis and more slender than in hypomelas (Figs. 9, 10, 11); distance from base of ventral thorns on lower margin of face to apex of first sec- tion of sheath of mouth parts less than twice the length of the apical part of the latter (Fig. 4), the corresponding distance in lateralis and hypomelas differing from that in alternata as shown in figures 5 and 6. In the armature of the abdomen alternata differs from hypomelas and lateralis in the complete transverse median series of hairs on the eighth ventral segment, these hairs being absent in hypomelas, and lateralis having but two on each side. Lateral view of apical abdominal segment as in figure 8.
I have before me two pupae of alternata, one received from J. J. Davis and the other from J. A. Hyslop, both of the U. S. Bureau of Ento- mology. The example sent by Davis is that of a specimen reared from a lepidopterous pupa ; the one from Hyslop is that referred to by him in a recent paper* on the life history of Meracantha contracta, in the larvae of which the species is parasitic.
The three species of this group that I have examined are very closely allied and are readily distinguished from other Bombyliidae known to me by the stout upper cephalic processes, which are closely contiguous at base, and by the very small size of the lateral cephalic processes and their close approximation to the central line of the head, their bases being but little farther from that line than are those of the upper pair.
• Psyche, Vol. 22, 1915, p. 41.
70 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
Explanation of Plate I.
Fig. 1. Anastocchus nitidulus, lateral view of apex of pupa.
Fig. 2. Anastocchus nitidulus, front view of head of pupa.
Fig. 3. Anastocchus nitidulus, lateral view of head of pupa.
Fig. 4. Hyalanthrax alternata, front view of mouth parts of pupa.
Fig. 5. Hyalanthrax hypomelas, front view of mouth parts of pupa.
Fig. 6. Hyalanthrax lateralis, front view of mouth parts of pupa.
Fig. 7. Hyalanthrax alternata, dorsal view of upper cephalic processes
of pupa. Fig. 8. Hyalanthrax alternata, lateral view of apex of pupa. Fig. 9. Hyalanthrax hypomelas, lateral cephalic process from below. Fig. 10. Hyalanthrax lateralis, lateral cephalic process from below. Fig. 11. Hyalanthrax alternata, lateral cephalic process from below. Fig. 12. Chrysanthrax fulvohirta, lateral view of apex of pupa. Fig. 13. Chrysanthrax fulvohirta, front view of head of pupa. Fig. 14. Chrysanthrax fulvohirta, lateral view of head of pupa.
Proc. Biol. Soc. AVasii., Vol. XXIX, 1916.
Plate I.
.-f^
^
S M \
^ i:;i
/^?
«
yp
ya-
KV
Vol. XXIX, pp. 71-72 April 4, 1916
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SUBSPECIES OF THE AMERICAN LEAST TERN.
BY EDGAR A. MEARNS.
The least tern, Sterna antillarum (Lesson) was described from Guadeloupe Island, West Indies, in the year 1847. The Pacific Coast form has apparently never been recognized and is here described as follows :
sterna antillarum browni new subspecies.
BROWN'S TERN.
Type- specimen. — Adult male, Cat. No. 134,773, U. S. Nat. Mus. ; col- lected on its breeding-ground, near Monument No. 258, Mexican Boundary Line, on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, in San Diego County, California, July 12, 1894, by Edgar A. Mearns. (Original number, 11,259.)
Suhspecific characters. — Slightly smaller than Sterna antillarum antil- larum (Lesson), from which it also differs as follows: Black of crown prolonged backward in an occipital crest which occupies the middle of the upper neck ; three outer primaries usually black except on the inner border of their inner webs ; upper parts darker gray ; under parts more grayish (less pure white) ; bill usually more narrowly tipped with black, often without any.
Measurements. — Type (taken by the author from the fresh specimen). — Length, 228 mm.; alar expanse, 522; wing, 181; tail, 78; culmen (chord), 29.5; tarsus, 16; middle toe, together with its claw, 16. Average measurements of three adult male topotypes (skins). — Wing, 166; tail, 75.7; culmen, 28.2; tarsus, 14.3; middle toe, 12.2. Averages of two adult female topotypes (skins). — Wing, 166.2; tail, 75; culuien, 24.5; tarsus, 14; middle toe, 11.5.
Measurements of Sterna antillarum antillarum (Lesson). — Averages of nine adult males from the Atlantic shores of tlie United States (skins). — Wing, 168.1; tail, 82; culmen, 28.8; tarsus, 14.6; middle toe, 12.9. Averages of ten adult females from the Atlantic coast of the United
14— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XXIX. 1916. (71)
72 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
States (skins). — Wing, 162.3; tail, 71.2; culmen, 27.3; tarsus, 14.8; middle toe, 12.2.
Remarks. — This form is named in honor of Mr. Edward Johnson Brown, who has contributed so largely to the collection of birds in the United States National Museum, from both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North America.
■y^X
7ol. XXIX, pp. 73-76 April 4, 1916
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
TWO NEW SALAMANDERS OF THE GENUS DESMOGNATHUS.
BY E. R. DUNN.
Haverford College.
The following descriptions of one new species and one new subspecies of Desmognathns are published in the course of a revision of the genus now in progress.
Desmognathus monticola 8p. nov.
Type from Elk Lodge Lake, near Brevard, North Carolina, altitude about 3000 feet; No. 38,313, adult male, U. S. National Museum; col- lected July 13, 1908, by Ronald and Emeline Tipping.
Diagnosis. — Vomerine teeth always present. Parasphenoid teeth usually confluent anteriorly. Legs stout, 3 intercostal spaces between appressed toes of adult. A distinct color pattern. Belly uniform, usually light. Transformed specimens, total length, 30-135 mm.; length of head and body, 17-64 mm.
Description. — The vomerines form two short slightly arched series which approximate each other in the median line. The parasphenoids are usually confluent in front. They are long narrow series and are well distant from each other save in front. Their distance from the vomerines is about equal to the length of one of the vomerine series. The relative shape of the tail is about as in fusca; the relative length is greater ; it is not flattened as in guadramaculata. The legs are stout. In young speci- mens the appressed toes are separated by 2 costal interspaces, in adults by 3. The length of the head is from 4-4^ in the length of head and body. The head width is from 5-6 in the length of head and body. This is the second largest form of the genus with medium head and body, long tail and medium legs. The skin of the head is sometimes rugose as in guadramaculata. The costal grooves are 13-14. There is always a tubercle in the anterior angle of the eye.
The color of this form is much like that of fusca, but shows certain
15— Pkoc. Biol. Soc. Wash.. Vol. XXIX, 1916. (73)
74 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
differences. The light dorsal spots are smaller and more heavily outlined with dark. They do not break up until the animal is practically mature and the dorsal color is almost black, whereas in fusca it is seldom even in the smallest specimens that they have not coalesced into a light dorsal band. When these spots do coalesce in monticola portions of the dark outline are left as conspicuous dark spots on the generally pale dorsal band. The ventral coloration is practically uniform and lacks all trace of the mottling so conspicuous in fusca. The sides are not mottled as in fusca, but the dark lateral band merges gradually into the pale ventral surface. In the young the ventral surface is unpigmented. A uniform pigmentation gradually encroaches on the belly from the sides inwards and from behind forwards, so that the last unpigmented part of the ven- tral surface is between tlie fore legs. Eventually the whole belly is uni- formly and lightly pigmented. In some specimens this pigmentation is fairly dark, never however becoming as dark as in quadramaculata. In comparing monticola with the latter it should be remembered that mon- ticola usually retains traces of the dorsal pattern and never has the light lateral band so characteristic of young and medium quadramaculata.
The only sexual difference discernible in this form is the very slightly more flexuous outline of the jaws in the male.
Remarks. — This animal is between fusca and quadramaculata, with which two species it has been hitherto confused. Although very closely related to fusca, it does not seem to intergrade with it in the mountains of Virginia and West Virginia where they occur together. So far as known fusca does not occur in the mountains of North Carolina.
Distribution. — From Clarke County, Virginia, and (Treenl)rier County, West Virginia, south in the Alleghanies to Brevard, North Carolina, and probably into Georgia. Zonal range. Transition and Canadian. Vertical range, 500-4500 feet.
Specimens examined. — Sixty-three, from localities as follows: North Carolina: Brevard (type locality), 21; Burnsville, 1; Spruce Pine- Mica ville, 1 ; Cane River, 3; B Ian tyre, 2; Sunburst, 3; Joanna Bald, near Andrews, 1; Tatula Mt., near Highlands, 1. Virginia: Berry's Ferry, Clarke County, 1; Hanging Rock, Clarke County, 8; Clarke County, 1; Delaplane, 2; Stony Man, 1; Augusta County, 2. West Vir- ginia: Greenbrier County, 2; Baileysville, 2; Star Creek, 2; Horsepen Creek, 1 ; Big Stony Creek, near Barger's Spring, 1.
Desmognathus ochrophsa carolinensis subsp. nov.
Type from spring near top of Mt. Mitchell, North Carolina, altitude "over 6500 feet"; No. 31,135, male adult, U. S. National Museum; col- lected October 5, 1902, by Brimley and Sherman.
Diagnosis. — Similar to ochrophsea, but larger, with dark belly, and with a tubercle canthus oculi. Transformed specimens, 44-113 total length; length of head and body, 24-54 mm.
Dunn — Two New Salamanders of the Genus Desmognathus 75
Description. — The vomerines are always present in the female. Males lose them at a total length of 65-75 mm. The vomerines form a short, scarcely arched series, containing 5-6 teeth. The series are separated from the nares by two-thirds the length of one of them, from each other by one-fourth length, and from the parasphenoids by one length. The parasphenoid series are separate for their whole length. The mandibular dentition is as in ochrophsea. The teeth in the male lower jaw are large, and are confined to the part anterior to the eye. The outline of the jaw is very strongly flexuous in the male. The female has a more flexuous outline of the jaw than the female of ochrophpca. The tail usually shows no trace of a dorsal keel, but is cylindrical throughout, and marked by strong segmented grooves, as is the tail of Plethodon erythronatus. The tail is quite long proportionally, being frequently longer than the head and body. The tail of the female is longer than that of the male. Males reach a larger size than do females. The number of costal interspaces between the appressed limbs is four. The head length is from 4-43^ in the length of head and body. The head width is from 5^-6 in the length of head and body. The skin of the head is finely rugose as in many specimens of quadramaculata and monticola from the North Carolina mountains. The tubercle canthus oculi is uniformly present.
The color of this form is variable. Old specimens are uniformly black. As a rule the dorsal pattern is intermediate between that of ochrophxa and that of fusca. That is, there is a very dark lateral band but the back shows traces of an original series of dorsal light spots. The black- ness of the sides of the tail is as characteristic of this form as of ochro- phsea. Unlike ochrophs-a, the belly of carolinensis becomes black with age.
Remarks. — Although very close to ochrophxa and probably intergrad- ing with it in the mountains of northern West Virginia, this form tends toward the other species of the genus. The presence of the tubercle canthus oculi and the darkness of the belly are both characters in which it diverges from ochrophiea and towards the other species of the genus. The color of the dorsal surface is usually more like that of the other forms, although some specimens from the type locality show a dorsal pattern exactly like oc/i?-op/ia;a from Pennsylvania. Cope (1889) men- tions this form as a variety of ochrophiea on page 194 of the " Batrachia of North America."
Distribution. — From Beverly, West Virginia, south in mountains to Gwinnett County, Georgia. Canadian zone. Vertical range, 2500-6500 feet.
Specimens examined. — Sixty-one, from localities as follows: Georgia: Gwinnett County, 1. North Carolina: Mt. Mitchell (type locality), 19; Cane River, 6; Yancey County, 1; Roan Mt.,8; Blantyre, 2; Highlands, 2; Wayah Bald, 2; Tatula Mt., 1 ; Andrews, 1; Henderson County, 1; Haywood County, 11. Tennessee: Roan Mt., 7. West Virginia: Big Spring River, 3; Rich Mt., near Beverly, 1.
76
Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
Measurements. ( Head from tip of snout to gular fold ; tail from posterior angle of vent. )
D. monticola (type series).
|
Vomer- |
Number of costal inter- |
||||||
|
No. |
Total |
Head. |
Body. |
Tail. |
Sex. |
ine |
spaces between ap- |
|
U.S. N. M. |
length. |
teeth. |
pressed toes. |
||||
|
38,313* |
116 |
13 |
45 |
58 |
c^ad. |
3-3 |
3 |
|
38,314 |
91 |
12 |
45 |
34 |
9 ad. |
5-5 |
3 |
|
38,315 |
100 |
12 |
31 |
49 |
d |
4-4 |
3 |
|
38,316 |
75 |
13 |
44 |
18 |
c?ad. |
3-3 |
3 |
|
38,320 |
58 |
7.5 |
27.5 |
23 |
jUV. |
2 |
|
|
38,321 |
63 |
7.5 |
25.5 |
30 |
jUV. |
2 |
|
|
38,323 |
46 |
7 |
19 |
20 |
]UV. |
2 |
|
|
38,324 |
36 |
5.5 |
14.5 |
16 |
JUV. |
||
|
38,325 |
34 |
5 |
14 |
15 |
]UV. |
||
|
38,326 |
31 |
5 |
12 |
14 |
JUV. |
|
D. 0. carolinensis (type series |
). |
|||||
|
No. U. S. N. M. |
Total length. |
Head. |
Body. |
Tail. |
Sex. |
Vomerine teeth. |
|
31,133 |
51 |
7 |
22 |
22 |
juv. |
|
|
31,134 |
44 |
6 |
18 |
20 |
JUV. |
|
|
31,135* |
102 |
11.5 |
40.5 |
50 |
c?ad. |
lacking |
|
31,136 |
82 |
10 |
33 |
39 |
9 ad. |
4-4 |
|
31,137 |
65 |
8 |
24 |
32 |
d^imm. |
4-4 |
|
31,138 |
59 |
7.5 |
21.5 |
29 |
9imm. |
6-6 |
* Type.
Vol. XXIX, pp. 77-82 April 4, 1916
PROCEEDINGS
or THE
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
NOTES ON QUAMASIA WITH A DESCRIPTION OF A
NEW SPECIES.
BY C. V. PIPER.
The liliaceous genus Quamasia Raf. (Camassia Lindl.) con- sists of a small number of species mostly from the region west of the Rocky Mountains. Economically two or more of the species have been important to the Indians for food, the bulbs being well known under the name "Camas." Several of the species are cultivated as ornamentals, particularly in Europe.
The characters by which the species are defined are often obscure in herbarium material. A recent study of that which has accumulated in the United States National Herbarium, necessitated by some unusually interesting specimens collected by Mr. W. C. Cusick near Roseberg, Oregon, indicates that it may be necessary to recognize several additional species. There is need, however, of careful field study and good suites of speci- mens before this can be done with assurance.
In the mean time notes on certain differences observable in herbarium material may be useful to field botanists who may have opportunity to determine the taxonomic value of these characters.
Quamasia angusta n. comb.
Scilla angusta Engelm. &Gray, Bost. Jour. Nat. Hist. 2:237. 1845. Camassia fraseri angusta Torr. & Gray, Pac. E.. Rep. 24:176. 1855.
This plant seems to differ constantly from Q. esculenta (Ker) Coville in the nervation of the perianth segments, each being 3-nerved while they are 5-nerved in Q. esculenta. The constancy of this character and the difference in range point to the plant being specifically distinct. Qua- masia angusta is confined to Texas.
16— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XXIX, 1916. (77)
78 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
Quamasia leichtlinii (Baker) Coville, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 11 :63.
1897.
Chlorogalum leichtlinii Baker, Gard. Chron. n. ser. 1:689. 1874. Camassia esculenta leichtlinii Baker, Bot. Mag. t. 6287. 1877. ' Camassia leichtlinii Wats. Proc. Am. Acad. 20:376. 1885.
In the original description of this plant Baker writes : " This is a plant which has been widely spread in gardens both in England and on the Continent under the name ' White Camassia,' " and further states, "Our plants were received from the Edinburgh Botanic Garden, and I learn from Mr. M'Nab that it was collected by Mr. John Jeffrey in British Columbia in 1851." "I do not find it from Jeffrey or any other collector in the Kew herbarium." "From Camassia it may be readily distinguished by its firm, persistent leaves, large bracts, and the entirely different habit of the inflorescence. It falls under Chlorogalum very well, but is not in any danger of being confused with the two kinds already known, one of which is the well-known Californian Soap Plant." Three years later Baker referred the plant to Quamasia under the name Camassia esculenta var. leichtlinii, and published therewith a handsome colored illustration. He again repeats the information that " It was discovered by Mr. John Jeffrey in British Columbia in 1853." "The present sketch was taken from a plant which flowered on the rockery in Kew Gardens in May, 1873."
In April, 1914, Mr. W. C. Cusick found growing in the Umpqua Valley around Eoseburg, Oregon, a white-flowered Quamasia in abundance. Fresh specimens as well as herbarium material from Mr. Cusick show that this plant agrees exactly with the description and colored plate pub- lished in the Botanical Magazine in 1877. Mr. Cusick writes further: "An old pioneer told me it was a food plant of the Indians. The gophers gathered the bulbs in caches, and the Indian women would go around with their camas diggers and thrust the elkhorn point into any favorable looking ground, and then get down to the hole and smell ; if the camas bulbs were there she got them out. This was all spoiled by the settlers' pigs which soon caught on to the smelling business and so put the Indian women quite out."
Inasmuch as no white-flowered Quamasia has ever been recorded from British Columbia, it is a matter of interest to know whence Jeffrey origin- ally secured the plant which, according to Baker, was quite commonly cultivated in Europe in 1874. Jeffrey collected plants at various places on the Pacific Coast from British Columbia to southern California. Prac- tically the whole knowledge of his activities is that contained in the report entitled "Botanical Expedition to Oregon." In this report are given lists of the various seeds and bulbs sent by Jeffrey at different times, and in many cases revised identifications of the plants are given. From these lists it does not appear that any species of Quamasia was collected by Jeffrey in British Columbia or in northern Washington. In a list of the specimens and seeds sent by Jeffrey in box No. 10 appears the follow- ing note: "No. 1007, Camassia sp. Umpqua Valley, flowers white, six
Piper — Notes on Quamasia with Description of New Species. 79
bulbs." This is apparently the only Quamasia he collected, and as it came from identically the locality where Mr. Cusick now finds this white- flowered plant so abundantly, there can be but little doubt that the type locality of Quamasia leichllinii is not British Columbia as published, but the Umpqua Valley of Oregon.
In the vicinity of Roseburg, Mr. Cusick also collected plants with dark blue flowers and others with pale blue flowers. These appear to differ from typical Q. leichtlinii in no other respect than the color of the corolla. White-flowered mutants in blue-flowered plants are very common and have been reported in other species of Quamasia. It is noteworthy, how- ever, that in the many specimens of Quamasia leichtlinii in the National Herbarium, only one, namely, that collected by Howell at Oakland, also in the Umpqua Valley, has white or whitish flowers.
Mr. Cusick' s abundant and complete material of Quamasia leichtlinii permits of a critical comparison with the blue-flowered plants that have been described under the names Quamasia azurea Heller and Camassia suksdorfii Greenman.
Both of these plants agree with Q. leichtlinii in having the perianth segments spreading regularly and after anthesis becoming connivent and twisting together, whereas in other species of Quamasia the segments remain separate.
Quamasia suksdorfii (Greenman) Piper. {Camassia suksdorfii Green- man, Bot. Gaz. 34:307. 1902; Quamasia suksdorfii Piper, Cont. Nat. Herb. 11 : 191. 1906) is based on specimens collected by Suksdorf in Klickitat County, Washington. Doctor Greenman in proposing the species comments as follows : ' ' From Camassia leichtlinii Watson * * * C. suksdorfii diflers in the color of the flowers, the less sharply triangular, thinner, and less conspicuously nerved capsule. The seeds, moreover, in C. suksdorfii are larger and have a more bluish luster than in C. leichtlinii."
Incidentally it may be added Dr. Watson's conception of Camassia leichtlinii (Proc. Am. Acad. 20 : 376) was based largely on Suksdorf's material and notes of the plant named C. suksdorfii by Dr. Greenman.
Quamasia azurea Heller, Bull. Torr. Bot. Club, 26 : 547. 1899, is based on specimens collected near Montesano, Washington. It is compared with Q. quamash from which it is said to difl'er in its more delicate bright blue flowers, and by growing on grassy slopes. The type has not been examined but other material from near the type locality answer its de- scription accurately.
Q. leichtlinii as represented in Mr. Cusick' s specimens has a cream - colored perianth segment 20-30 mm. long, all either 5-nerved or 7-nerved.
Q. suksdorfii has blue perianth segments all 7-nerved, the two outer nerves short. The capsules of the two show no characteristic diflFerence. The value of the seed characters is difficult to judge as so few of the specimens possess mature fruit that can confidently be associated with specimens in bloom. In all the Pacific Coast species they are very much alike. Those in Mr. Cusick' s specimens of Q. leichtlinii are decidedly
80 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Wdshington.
obpyriform, while in tlie type of Q. suksdorfii they are but slightly thicker toward the apex.
Q. leichtlinii, Q. suksdorfii and Q. azurea are very closely allied and not clearly definable by any of the characters that have been pointed out. Indeed in the plants that have been referred to Q. leichtlinii, namely, all of those whose perianth is nearly regular and connivent-twisting after anthesis, there are other forms apparently better deserving of recognition. This species or species group ranges from Vancouver Island to California, mainly west of the Cascade Mountains and the Sierra Nevada, but also occurs on the eastern slope of the Cascade Mountains but not in the in- terior where Q. quamash is very abundant. In the area west of the mountains named Q. quamash is a rare plant.
The great majority of the specimens in the National Herbarium have all the perianth segments 5-nerved and 20-25 mm. long agreeing with the type of Q. azurea.
Based on nervation alone groups of forms may be differentiated :
1. Perianth segments all 3-nerved;
2. Perianth segments 3 and 5-nerved ;
3. Perianth segments all 5-nerved ;
4. Perianth segments 5 and 7-nerved ;
5. Perianth segments all 7-nerved.
In general the number of nerves to perianth segments seems to be cor- related with the vigor of the plant. At least those with the largest peri- anths, sometimes 3-3.5 cm. long, have more numerous nerves, while some of those with 3-nerved segments have very small flowers. It does not appear in this species at least that the nervation of the perianth is of taxonomic significance, but the matter deserves field study.
A very noteworty specimen collected at Colby, Butte County, Califor- nia, Mrs. R. M. Austin, No. 738, July, 1897, has 5 and 7-nerved perianth segments 20-25 mm. long, with pedicels as long as the flowers in anthesis, but in fruit 3-4 cm. long, more than twice that of the bracts. In its long pedicels it suggests Q. howellii, but the large connivent-twisted perianth at once separates it from that species.
On the whole it is diflicult to avoid the conclusion that Q. azurea and Q. suksdorfii should be considered synonymous of Q. leichtlinii.
Quamasia leichtlinii commonly occurs in grassy prairies or well-drained meadows, contrasting in this respect with the wet meadow preference of Q. quamash.
Quamasia quamash (Pursh) Coville, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 11 : 64.
1897.
Phalangium quamash Fuvsh, Fl. Am. Sept. 1 : 226. 1814. Quamasia esculenta Raf. Am. Month. Mag. 2 : 265. 1818. Camassia esculenta Lindl. Bot. Reg. 18 : t. 1486. 1832. Scilla Kamas Nutt. Proc. Acad. Sci. Phila. 7 : 55. 1834. Camassia quamash Greene, Man. Bay Reg. Bot. 313. 1894.
Quamasia quamash is an abundant species in the eastern portions of
Piper — Notes on Quamasia with Description of New Species. 81
Washington and Oregon, western Montana, but also occurs sparingly west of the Cascade Mountains from Vancouver Island to northern Cali- fornia, and in Utah. It prefers low flat land of heavy clay texture and often occurs in bottoms that are overflowed in spring.
The material in the National Herbarium seems very consistent except in the matter of the venation of the perianth segments. Most of the material from Idaho has all the perianth segments 3-nerved, as has the original specimen collected by Lewis at " Quamash Prairie" or Weippe, Idaho. Tlie same is true of most of the specimens from Montana, Wash- ington and Utah.
On the other hand, many of the specimens from Washington and Montana and two from northern California have the perianth segments either all 5-nerved or with an occasional one 3-nerved. In some of the specimens the segments seem to be alternately 3-nerved and 5-nerved in every flower.
No other characters have been detected connected with that of the nervation of the perianth segments, but these should be sought for both in flowering and fruiting specimens by those who have opportunity to study the matter in the field.
Quamasia walpolei n. sp.
Bulbs ovoid, 2.5-3 cm. long, 1-2 cm. thick; leaves linear, flat, 20-25 cm. long, 5-10 mm. broad, many nerved, green above, paler or somewhat glaucous beneath; scapes strictly erect, 30-50 mm. high, smooth, pale green; bracts subulate, somewhat scarious, shorter than the buds but longer than the pedicels, the lowermost one or two below the inflorescence ; raceme dense, even in fruit, 15-30 flowered, narrow, spike-like, 10-15 cm. long; pedicels all of nearly equal length, erect or becoming so, 5-8 mm. long; perianth segments linear-lanceolate, pale blue, 10-13 mm. long, the outer 3-nerved, the inner 5-nerved, persistent, each twisting separately after anthesis, apparently irregularly disposed, one spreading downward, the others upward; capsules 6-8 mm. long and nearly as broad, obtusely angled, strongly few nerved; seeds slightly obpyriform, black, shiny, 3 mm. long.
Closely allied to Q. quamash (Pursh) Coville, but readily distinguished by its dense raceme, more numerous smaller flowers, short subequal pedicels and smaller capsules. It is a pleasure to dedicate the interesting species to the late Mr. F. A. Walpole.
All of the specimens examined are from southwestern Oregon :
Hood River, Klamath Indian Reservation, F. A. Walpole, No. 2218, June 22, 1902, in flower (type) ; Fort Klamath, F. A. Walpole, No. 2251, July 25, 1902, in fruit; Klamath Valley, Dr. H. M. Cronkhite, Nos. 16 and 48, in 1864; Kean Creek, Jackson County, Elmer I. Applegate, No. 2302, May 25, 1898; Roseburg, W. C. Cusick, No. 4026.
According to Mr. F. V. Coville camas bulbs are gathered in abundance on the Klamath Indian Reservation. So far as the National Herbarium specimens disclose only Quamasia walpolei grows in that area, so this species must apparently be edible.
Vol. XXIX, pp. 83-84 April 4, 1916
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
DESCRIPTION OF ANEW PINE MOUSE FROM FLORIDA. BY ARTHUR H. HOWELL.
Audubon and Bachman recorded the pine mouse from Florida in 1851,* but modern collectors have until very recently failed to find the species in the State. Bangs, in his paper on Florida mammals, was unable to give any information as to the occur- rence of the animal there. t
In November, 1913, Stanley E. Piper, of the Biological Survey, secured a single specimen at Ocala, Florida, the skull, however, not being preserved, and in December, 1915, Ray T. Jackson, also of the Biological Survey, succeeded in trapping four more at the same place. These prove to represent a very distinct form, which is here described.
Pitymys parvulus ap. nov.
FLORIDA PINE MOUSE.
Type. — Adult female, skin and skull. No. 210,485, U. S. National Museum (Biological Survey Collection), from Ocala, Florida; collected December 15, 1915, by R. T. Jackson.
General characters. — Similar to Pitymys pinetorum pinetorum, but paler and decidedly smaller.
Color. — Adult: Upper parts tawny (of Ridgway, 1912), shading on sides and tail to vinaceous-cinnamon ; under parts dusky, faintly shaded with vinaceous-cinnamon ; feet flesh color. Young : Upper parts between fawn color and wood brown ; under parts drab without cinnamon suffusion.
Skull. — Similar to that of pinetorum but much smaller ; nasals relatively shorter; mastoid portion of bullae more inflated.
Measurements. — Type (adult 9): total length, 94; tail vertebrae, 15; hind foot, 14. Skull: basal length, 19.3; length of nasals, 5.7; zygomatic
• Quad. N. Am.. II, 1851, p. 219.
+ Land Mamm. Penin. Florida, etc., Proc. Boston See. Nat. Hist.. Vol. 28.1898, p. 182.
17— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XXIX, 1910. (83)
81 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
breadth, 13.2; mastoid breadth, 11.4; least interorbital breadth, 4.2; alveolar length of upper molar row, 5.1.
Remarks. — Considering the nearness geographically of this species to Pitymys pinetorum of South Carolina and Georgia, the differences between them are remarkable. Further collecting in northern Florida may show that they intergrade, but for the present it seems best to regard parvulus as a distinct species.
The habits of this species are described by Mr. Jackson, as follows:
' ' This little mouse usually selects areas that are covered with a dense growth of trees and shrubs, mainly sand pine and scrub oak. No runways were found in the openings where there were no trees. They dig burrows ranging from about three-fourths of an inch to an inch in diameter and running from one to five or six inches below the surface. These runways weave in and out around the roots of the trees and shrubs ( on which no doubt the mice feed to a great extent) and do not run in a straight line for any distance, probably not over a foot or two. The little animals also use the mole runways, probably after they have been abandoned by the mole. (One adult specimen was caught in a mole runway. ) Several attempts to follow runways to the nest of the mouse finally resulted in finding a nest under an old board. It was made of palmetto bark and lined with a silky, fibrous material, much like the inside of a milk-weed pod. Around the nest was found the hulls of about two hundred pine seeds."
7ol. XXIX, pp. 85-86 April 4, 1916
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
GENERAL NOTES.
NEW GENERIC NAME FOR A TREE-TOAD FROM NEW GUINEA.
In 1882 Dr. G. A. Boulenger described a new genus and species of tree- toad from Ecuador as Nyctimaniis rugiceps (Cat. Batr. Sal. Brit. Mus., pp. 421, 422). The main generic difference relied on to distinguish it from Hyla was the erect pupil. In 1897 (Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (6) Vol. 19, p. 12) he described another species, from New Guinea, as Nyctimantis papua. There is not the faintest probability that these two tree-toads are directly phylogenetically related, thus constituting a natural genus, and as they differ in N. rugiceps having the derm of the top of the head involved in the cranial ossification, while in N. papua it is free, I propose as a generic term for the latter the name Nyctimystes. The New Guinean tree-toad should then stand as Nyctimystes papua.
— Leonhard Stejneger.
NOTES ON AMPHISB^NIAN NOMENCLATURE.
As it is necessary for me to use the names in a forthcoming lecture, I wish to place on record the following changes :
The generic name Anops Bell, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1833, p. 99, for the South American amphisbsenid lizard A. kingii, is preoccupied by Anops Oken, 1815, for a crustacean. I therefore propose to substitute for it Anopsibsena. The generic name Baikia is not available, as I consider the B. africana as representing a distinct genus.
Likewise, the specific name of the Cuban amphisbsenid usually known as Amphigbsena punctata Bell, 1828, is preoccupied by Amphisbsena punctata Wied, 1825, from Brazil. I find, moreover, that the genus Cadea is a valid one, so that the Cuban species may in the future be known as Cadea blanoides.
— Leonhard Stejneger.
18— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XXIX. 1916. (85)
86 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
A SECOND RECORD OF NYCTINOMUS DEPRESSUS FOR IOWA.
On October 21, 1914, a curious bat was captured alive in the high school building at Marshalltown, Iowa. An attempt to keep it alive was unsuc- cessful. The skin, however, was saved and later sent to Mr. Charles B. Cory of the Field Museum, who identified it as Nyctinomus depressus Ward. The only previous record for the State is the one secured by Dr. B. H. Bailey at Cedar Rapids, Iowa (Cory, Mammals of Illinois and Wisconsin, p. 477). Securing a second bat of this species is of additional interest in view of the fact that there are no other records, known to the writer, of its occurrence east of Colorado.
— Ira N. GabrieUon.
A CHANGE OF NAME FOR AN ARIZONA MISTLETOE. The genus Razoumofskya is widely distributed in the western United States and is represented by numerous species. Most of these seem to be confined each to some particular coniferous tree. Since the plants usually grow high up on large trees, they are often overlooked, consequently it is not surprising that new species are found occasionally. The most recently described species, parasitic upon Pinus strobiformis Engelm., is known only from southern Arizona. It was described as Arceuthobium blumeri A. Nels.,* but since the generic name Arceuthobium Bieb. (1819) is ante- dated by Razoumofskya Hoffm. (1808), the plant should be known as Razoumofskya blumeri (A. Nels.) Standley.
— Paul C. Standley.
•Bot. Gaz. 56 : 65. 1913.
Vol. XXIX, pp. 87-88 April 4, 1916
PROCEEDINGS
OF TUE
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON /V.
DESCRIPTION OF A NEW EUBLEPHARID LIZARD^
FROM COSTA RICA.
BY G. K. NOBLE.
In a collection of reptiles and amphibians from Costa Rica recently presented to the Museum of Comparative Zoology by Mr. H. S. Blair of the United Fruit Company there is an unde- scribed species of the genus Lathrogecko. It may well be called :
Lathrogecko xanthostigma sp. nov.
Diagnosis. — Head slightly more than one and one-half times as long as broad ; snout as long as the distance from the ear to the orbit ; dorsal scales very small, rounded, slightly tubercular; nasals followed by a group of three small post-nasals; mental moderate in size, followed by several small scales; five upper labials, four lower labials; ventral scales very much larger than the dorsals.
Type. — M. C. Z., 11,658; Zent, near Puerto Limon, Costa Rica; H. S. Blair collector and donor.
Habitat. — Only known from the type locality.
Description of the type specimen. — (Adult. ) Snout moderately pointed, the distance from the orbit to the tip of the snout exactly the same as the distance from the ear opening to the orbit; ear opening moderate, ellip- tical and horizontal. Rostral large, cleft above, a distinct ridge around the upper edge; rostral bounding the nostril anteriorly. Four or five upper labials; four lower labials; both series grading off gradually in size posteriorly. Mental only moderately large, cut by two small grooves posteriorly and followed by a cluster of scales much larger than the granules of the throat ; gulars similar to the dorsal granules but smaller. Body depressed; dorsal surface covered with small, rounded, slightly tubercular scales, those on the snout being larger than those on the occipital region but smaller than those on the upper surface of the body ; ventral scales large, rounded, smooth and imbricate; lower surfaces of legs and arms with similar scales spreading anteriorly over part of their upper surfaces.
19— Peoc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XXIX, 1916. (87)
88 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington.
Color above dark brown ; a yellowish white band extending completely around the top of the head, starting from the rostral, then running along the canthus rostralis, continuing across the temporal region and bending over the occipital region to complete a similar crescent on the other side; two or possibly three indistinct rows of pale yellowish spots extending along each side of the body. Throat whitish, obliquely striped along the sides with dark brown, ripple-like marks which extend over the labials ; chin spotted in the mid region with pale brown; belly dark brown. Posterior side of thighs dark brown with large whitish spots.
Dimensions (in millimeters). — Snout to ear opening, 7.6; width of head, 4.95; snout to vent, 30.8; fore limb, 8.2; hind limb, 11.4.
Remarks. — It is interesting to find in this collection from Costa Rica a new species of lizard belonging to a genus so recently described as Lath-