SHALLOW- WATER STARFISHES 



these and the ventral spines. Ventral spines (inferomarginals) 

 form a double row of alternating spines, of which the upper are the 

 smaller and the lower are larger and stouter than the interambu- 

 lacrals. Lateral spines (superomarginals) rather slender, forming 

 a single row. No well marked dorsal row, though the spines in the 

 middle of the arm are rather the larger. The dorsal spines are short 

 and stout, with rounded, almost capitate tips. The spines of the 

 disk are rather smaller than those of the arms and are arranged 

 irregularly. The major pedicellariae could not be well made out, but 

 appeared to be lanceolate and not numerous. The minor pedicel- 

 lariae form close wreaths around the spines." 



I have examined the types of this species, which are preserved in 

 the U. S. National Museum, and also a number of other lots from 

 the same region. 



The larger type-specimen, dried from alcohol (a), has the radii, 

 7 mm. and 32 mm.; ratio, i : 4.57. A smaller one (b) has the radii, 

 5 mm. and 23 mm. ; ratio, 1 : 4.60. But it becomes considerably 

 larger than these. One of the larger ones from Arctic Alaska (No. 

 1428, Mus. Comp. Zool., pi. LXXI), has the radii n mm. and 44 mm. ; 

 ratio, i : 4. 



This species varies somewhat in the size and number of the dorsal 

 and marginal spines and also in the form and size of the adambu- 

 lacral spines, and especially in the number of minor pedicellariae. 

 The general appearance is somewhat like that of L. compta, of the 

 New England coast, but the forms of the spines are coarser and the 

 pedicellariae are different. 



In most cases, including the type-specimens (a and b), there is an 

 evident, but crooked, median radial row of distinctly larger spines, 

 when dry. The other spines are rather numerous, irregularly scat- 

 tered, and reticulated, but often forming indistinct longitudinal 

 rows, as well as occasional short transverse series proximally on the 

 sides of the rays. They are all short and blunt, not minute. The 

 larger ones are about as high as broad, somewhat capitate, with finely 

 striated and evenly rounded tips ; the smaller ones are more or less 

 clavate or subcapitate. All the dorsal and marginal spines are 

 usually surrounded by dense clusters of very small minor pedicel- 

 lariae, which in alcoholic specimens are attached to a sheath that 

 usually rises to mid-height of the spine, and in the case of the infero- 

 marginal spines, it frequently nearly reaches the tip, and thus the 

 dense clusters of pedicellariae often conceal the tips of the spines and 

 are nearly or quite in contact with each other. But some specimens, 



