568 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OP 



posed of cells arranged in irregular lines ; cells large, broadly oval ; openings of 

 the same shape as the cells, though smaller, by the projection inwards of the 

 wall of the cell. Between the cells are numerous small interspaces formed by 

 the inaccurate apposition of the cells. In this species we found no ovarian 

 vesicles. The common base of the colony is longitudinally and obliquely striate. 



Descriptions of Three New Species of Starfishes from Cape St. Lucas. 



BY JOHN XANTUS. 



1. ASTERIAS SERTULIFERA, XantllS. 



With five moderately tapering and somewhat angular arms. Length of each 

 arm about two and a quarter times the diameter of the disk. Ambulacral 

 spines very slender, flattened, linear, mostly in a single row. Exterior to them, 

 on the ventral side, a double or treble row of stouter spines of equal length, 

 also somewhat flattened, with blunt extremities. Back of the arm with five 

 pretty regular rows of cylindrical or moderately-tapering spines nearly as large 

 as those on the belly. The lateral rows are more regular than the others, and 

 the spines of these rows arise from a very regular series of subtria'ngular 

 ossicles, one spine to every alternate ossicle. These back-spines are all 

 crowned at or near their tips with a thick wreath of minute pedicellariae. No 

 pedicellariae in the intervals between the spines. Rarely a large pedicellaria 

 in the ambulacral furrows. 



Diameter, four and a half inches. 



Related to A. glacialis. 



Found on rocks at low-water mark. 



2. Heliaster microbrachia, Xantus. 



Arms thirty-five in number, each in length forming about one-eighth the 

 entire diameter of the body. Ambulacral pores very small, in four rows. 

 Ambulacral spines stout, blunt, and forming a single row. Lateral spines of 

 the arms compressed, very broad and flat, often bifurcated at their extremities. 

 Dorsal spines very small and numerous, uniformly distributed, scattered with- 

 out order over the surface of the disk and arms. 



Diameter, seven inches. 



3. Heliaster kubiniji, Xantus. 



Arms twenty-two to twenty-four in number, each in length forming rather 

 less than one-third the whole diameter of the body. Ambulacral spines in a 

 single row. Ventral spines compressed at their extremities. Dorsal spines 

 capitate, in four to six series on the back of the arms ; on the disk much 

 larger and less numerous, and with flat or even concave tops. Pedicellaria? 

 thickly distributed between the spines. 



Diameter, seven inches. 



Collected at Cerro Blanco, off Cape St. Lucas. 



I take pleasure in dedicating this species to my countryman M. Kubiniji, the 

 accomplished Director of the Hungarian National Museum at Pesth. 



Type specimens of all of the above species have been transmitted to the 

 Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. 



Descriptions of Two New Species of Pimelodus, from Kansas. 



BY CHARLES C. ABBOTT. 



1 Pimelodus Hammondii, Abbott. Spec. char. Body slender, elon- 

 gated, and much compressed ; the dorsal outline anterior to the dorsal fin, and 

 the facial outline, descend obliauely to the margin of the jaws, withoat curva- 



[Dec. 



