The Comatulids of Torres Strait. 103 



or more joints, of which 8 or more make up the comb. Arm-pinnules of only 

 a dozen joints; even the distal pinnules are short; those at base of arm and 

 near middle are stout and the joints have everted and finely serrate distal 

 ends. General color in typical specimens, bright yellow-brown; in some cases 

 this is very much darkened and has a greenish cast; rarely the tips of the arms 

 are green or greenish-yellow. Colors are well kept in alcohol. 



This pretty little comatulid was not at all rare on the reef-flat at Mae'r, but 

 it was nowhere abundant. It is obviously closely allied to both parvicirrum 

 and annulatum, but is readily distinguished by the short arms, the well- 

 developed and numerous cirri, the character of brachials and pinnules, and the 

 distinctive coloration. 



12. Comanthus parvicirrum (J. M tiller). 



This is one of the loveliest crinoids found at Mae'r, but is not at all common. 

 The specimens taken were found on the under side of rock-fragments. The 

 typical coloration is rose-red and white. Unfortunately the colors are very 

 fugitive in alcohol. 



13. Comanthus samoanum (A. H. Clark). 



Only a few specimens of this species were found. They occurred with, and 

 were not recognized as distinct from, annulatum, but can now be distinguished 

 without difficulty. 



14. Stephanometra monacantha (Hartlaub). 



A single specimen was taken on the southwestern reef at Mae'r on October 1 1 . 

 It was an active and very graceful swimmer. 



15. Stephanometra stypacantha sp. nov. (ffTvwos stick + faavOa = spine). 

 Centro-dorsal large, thick, slightly convex, almost completely covered by 



the cirri; its diameter is 3.5 mm., but its bare surface is less than a millimeter 

 across. Cirri xxxm, 18, about 12 to 13 mm. long, distally very distinctly com- 

 pressed; basal 3 or 4 and terminal half dozen segments more or less shortened, 

 the others longer than wide; terminal six or seven may show a longitudinal 

 keel dorsally, but this is never marked; opposing claw distinct but small. 

 Arms 16, about 70 mm. long, slender and well separated; division series all 2, 

 without syzygies; axillaries pentagonal, nearly as long as wide; no lateral 

 processes and no tubercles; brachials quadrate at base of arm and distally, 

 but 7 to 30 (or thereabouts) more or less markedly wedge-shape; syzygies 

 between 3-4, 16-17 and then at intervals of 6 to 8 joints; sometimes between 

 9-10, 14-15 (or 15-16) and then at intervals of 5 or 6 joints. P 1 about 4 mm. 

 long, flagellate, with 14 joints, the basal ones stout, but distal ones long and very 

 slender; P similar but much smaller. P 2 very rigid, 8 mm. long, sharp and 

 spine-like (hence the name selected), consisting of 9 joints, of which 3 to 6 

 are greatly elongated (3 times as long as thick, or more) and 9 is minute; 

 P B similar, but evidently smaller in every way ; P 3 similar to P 2 , but only 5 or 6 

 mm. long; P c similar but much smaller; P 4 more flagellate, less than 3 mm. 

 long and with only 8 joints; P,, similar and about equal to P 4 ; succeeding 

 pinnules gradually becoming longer, but not exceeding 6 or 7 mm. and with 

 14 or 15 joints; all pinnules more or less cylindrical and with smooth joints. 

 Color, uniform deep red-purple, except cirri, which are nearly dull-yellow at 

 base and only dark at tip. The color is well kept in alcohol, except that light 

 spots at base of arms and distally are now visible, which were not noted in life. 

 This species seems to be very well characterized by the numerous, few- 

 jointed, nearly smooth cirri, the absence of ventro-lateral processes on the 

 arms, and the small number of segments in P 2 . The form and proportions 

 of the lower pinnules also seem to be characteristic. Only one specimen was 



