The Echinoderm Fauna of South Africa. 287 



are noticeably smaller, more terete and pointed; the pair on the 

 surface of the plate is placed transversely across the plate ; each is 

 about the size and shape of one of the larger spines of the furrow 

 series of an adambulacral plate. 



Colour (dried) dull pinkish. 



P.F. 13280. Coke Rock, N. E. by E. i/ 2 E., 4 miles. 22 fms. 

 R. and brk. sh. 1 specimen; young. 



Holotype, South African Museum, no. A 6421. 



1 have been at a loss to know what to do with this little Asterina. 

 I could not find a species to which it might be assigned properly, 

 yet I hesitated to base a new species in so undigested a genus on 

 a single small specimen. I am driven however to the latter course, 

 as the only one which is justifiable. Moreover I do not know to 

 what section of the genus it is most nearly related, for its spinula- 

 tion is very characteristic and quite unlike any other Sonth African 

 species of similar form. It is however not impossible (though highly 

 improbable) that the present specimen is a very young stage of 

 A. granifera. Abundant material, of early stages of that species, 

 alone w r ill tell. The apparent absence of a madreporite may be an 

 indication of very early youth. 



* ANSEROPODA NOVEMRADIATA. 



Palmipes novemradiatus Bell, 1905. Mai 1 . Inv. South Africa, 



vol. 3, p. 248. 



Although Bell was one of the first writers to point out the priority 

 of Anseropoda over Patmipes, when he came to name his new spe- 

 cies from South Africa, he lacked the courage of his convictions. 

 Moreover he gives such a very inadequate description that were it 

 not for the unusual number of rays, his species would be quite 

 unidentifiable. His statement that "no Patmipes is known with 

 more than five rays" ignores Anseropoda rosacea Lamk. which has 

 15 or 16 rays and has been known for a hundred years! 



ANSEROPODA HABRACANTHA *, sp. nov. 

 Plate XVII. Figs. 4, 5. 



R = 16 mm. ; r = 11 mm. ; R = 1-45 r; v. d. = 3-5; r = 3 v. d. 

 Rays 5. Form as usual in the genus, the central portion of the 

 disk and median area of each ray rather abruptly elevated above 

 the thin, flat interradial regions. Abactinal plates very numerous, 



= delicate -|- axi<0 = spine, in reference to the delicate spinulation. 



