298 VERRILL 



described above, only in having the rays somewhat longer. It is 

 poorly preserved. 



This species is closely allied to M. bairdii l Verrill, found in deep 

 water off the east coast of the United States. The granulation of 

 both surfaces is, however, decidedly finer in the latter, and there are 

 various other differences as shown by the figures. 



The colors in life are very bright. The dorsal side is usually deep 

 red or vermillion ; under side scarlet or orange, varying to salmon- 

 color ; ambulacral feet often red or scarlet. 



Off Wilmington, California, 27 fathoms (U. S. Nat. Mus., speci- 

 men described above and figured) ; Queen Charlotte Islands, Mal- 

 colm Island, low water (Whiteaves) ; Departure Bay, British Colum- 

 bia (C. H. Young, Canadian Geological Survey, 1909) ; off Victoria, 

 Vancouver Island (C. F. Newcombe), very large. 



Fisher records it from numerous localities, in 6 to 167 fathoms, 

 from the Alaskan Peninsula to Lower California. Very common in 

 20 to 50 fathoms. 



VARIATIONS. 



Two specimens from Victoria, British Columbia, 1895, received 

 from the Provincial Museum through C. F. Newcombe, are unusu- 

 ally large, and have an appearance quite unlike smaller specimens 

 usually met with. 



The larger has the radii 35 mm. and 115 mm.; dorsal parapaxillse 

 up to 4 mm. in diameter. The other has the radii 38 mm. and 

 103 mm. The rays are long and taper to slender tips. The under 

 surface is coarse and rough in appearance, due to the large size and 

 the length of the adambulacral spines and to the coarse spinules on 

 the interradial plates. 



The adambulacral spines are about the same in number and 

 arrangement as on the smaller specimens, but are much increased in 

 relative size ; they are up to 3.5 mm. long. The same is true of the 

 interradial spinules. These last stand in stellate groups, mostly of 



1 MEDIASTER BAIRDII Verrill. (Plate n, figure a ; plate in, figure 2.) 

 Archaster bairdii VERRILL, Amer. Journ. Sci., xxni, p. 139, 1882. 

 Isaster bairdii VERRILL, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., xvn, p. 258, 1894. Amer. 



Journ. Sci., XLIX, p. 136, 1895. 

 Mediaster stellatus PERKIER, Mem. Soc. de France, iv, p. 268, 1891. Resultats 



des Campag. Scient, fas. xi, p. 46, 1896, pi. nr, figs. i-id. 

 Afediaster bairdii VERRILL, Trans. Conn. Acad., x, p. 181, pi. xxnr, figs. 1-9, 



pi. xxv, figs. 8, 8a, 1898. 

 Off the east coast of the United States, in 351 to 721 fathoms. 



