The Echinoderm Fauna of South Africa. 301 



broken off at some time and are partly regenerated ; they are only 

 15 mm. in total length. This individual is thus somewhat larger 

 than Sladen's type which was taken in the Antarctic Ocean, far to 

 the south of West Australia, in 1950 fms. The South African speci- 

 men agrees well with Sladen's description and figure, except that 

 the dorsal paxillae are fewer and they project more strikingly, and 

 there are only two, instead of three, oral spines on the free lateral 

 margins of the plates. These differences seem to rne well within 

 the probable range of individual diversity. 



P.F. 16906. Cape Point N.E. by E. '/i E., 40 miles. 800-900 fms. 

 Gn. m. 1 specimen; adult. 



HYMENASTER MEMBRANACEUS. 



Sladen, 1882. Jour. Linn. Soc. (Zool.), vol. 16, p. 237. 

 1889, CHALLENGER Ast., pi. 92, figs. 6, 7. 



It is with much hesitation that I refer a number of small Hijmen- 

 asters, in very poor condition, to this species. They are all small, 

 R = 20-30 mm., and are so badly rubbed, orally, that it is impossible 

 to determine what the armature of the oral plates was. The adam- 

 bulacral plates certainly carried three short, slender spines. The 

 supradorsal membrane is very thin and full of interlacing fibres. 

 The type of membranaceus was from 1125 fms. in the northeastern 

 Atlantic, and was larger (R = 35 mm.) than any of these South African 

 specimens. The oral plates and armature were a very characteristic 

 feature and it is to be regretted that all of the specimens before me 

 have the oral plates badly rubbed. It is evident however that there 

 were 5 small spines on lateral margins of each oral plate. In view 

 of this fact and the character of the dorsal membrane, it has seemed 

 to me best to refer these specimens to memdranace/ts though their 

 identity is of course doubtful. 



P.F. 16906. Cape Point N.E. by E. '//, E., 40 miles. 800-900 fms. 

 Gn. m. 7 specimens ; young ? 



P.F. 1726. Cape Pont E. 3 (/1 N., 12 miles. 930 fms. Gn. m. 

 6 specimens : young ? 



HYMENASTER LAMPRUS*, sp. nov. 

 Plate XL Figs. 3, 4. 



R = 42 mm.; r=32 mm.; R = l'3r. Form almost pentagonal, 

 as the rays are blunt and little produced and the sides are very 

 lightly concave. Disk not very high or thick; radial paxillar areas 



* Aitp-7f(>6<; =1 bright-colored, in reference to the fine colour of the actinal surface. 



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