SHALLOW- WATER STARFISHES 185 



of the spines ; these are usually denticulate. Smaller short-ovate 

 major pedicellariae occur on the interradial areas (see figures). 



Specimen described and figured is from off southern California 

 ( Professor Ritter, coll. Yale Museum) . 



I have also studied specimens of this species in the Museum of 

 Comparative Zoology from the Gulf of California (No. 1214), eight 

 young, from 35 mm. to 75 mm. in diameter; La Paz (No. 1215), 

 one small; Santa Cruz Island, California (No. 1212), one; Santa 

 Barbara, California (No. 1413), about 150 mm. in diameter; San 

 Diego, California (No. 1825), one. 



This species differs from O. cdif arnica and 0. columbiana, both 

 of which it resembles, in lacking peractinal spines. Its dorsal spines 

 are not fluted like those of columbiana, nor do they have the stout, 

 elevated sheath carrying the pedicellariae, present in that species; 

 the large wreaths in this are basal. The pedicellariae are also dis- 

 tinctive. The rays are more angular and the ossicles stouter. 



Genus Distolasterias Perrier. 



Distolasterias (pars) PERRIER, op. cit., 1896, p. 34. Type, D. stichanfha Sladen, 

 from Japan. See above, p. 47. 



This genus, as restricted to the stichantha group, is closely related 

 to Orthasterias. It differs mainly in having no interactinal plates, 

 visible externally, at least in our species, even after removal of the 

 dermis by potash, though a rudiment may, perhaps, exist internally. 

 Also in having more numerous rows of dorso-lateral plates and 

 spines, and in having the plates more closely joined, mostly by their 

 own overlapping lobes, with only few small connective ossicles. 

 Thus the papular areas are small and numerous, with papulae in 

 small groups. The superomarginal and intermarginal lanes are 

 narrow, each with a regular row of small papular areas, with few 

 papulae. The inferomarginal lane is very narrow, with the papulae 

 standing singly or in pairs. Alternate superomarginals are not 

 spineless in our species. 



DISTOLASTERIAS CHELIFERA Verrill, sp. nor. 

 Plate LXXXI, figures i-ib (spines and pedicellariae) ; plate ex, figures I, 2 (type). 



A good dry specimen of this species (No. 1346) has the radii 

 10 mm. and 100 mm. ; ratio, 1 : 10. A larger one, No. 19, from British 

 Columbia, has the radii 16 mm. and 180 mm. ; ratio, I : 11.2. 



The five rays are long, slender, nearly terete, gradually tapered 

 to unusually slender tips, with a small apical plate. 



