REPORT ON THE CRINOIDEA 299 



3. Actinometra mult ib rack lata, n. sp. (PI. LVI. figs. 3, 4). 

 Specific formula- — a. R.3.- " ^ — ' • — • 



Description oj an Individual. — Centro-dorsal a pentagonal disk with incurved sides 

 which project somewhat over the smooth radials. Its dorsal surface is deeply hollowed 

 in the centre, and bears about twenty-five cirri. These have fourteen to sixteen joints, 

 nearly all of which are longer than wide, the penultimate with a small spine. Three 

 radials visible. The first are raised at the angles, but deeply hollowed in the centre 

 where they fail to meet the upper surface of the centro-dorsal. The two outer radials are 

 short, wide, and united by syzygy. The second are only partly united laterally and the 

 whole of the rays above them are cpiite free. Three distichals, the axillary a syzygy, and 

 two palmars, united by syzygy. There may be six subsequent divisions which are normally 

 similar to the palmars. 



Arms slender, but very numerous, thirty or more to each ray, composed of some 

 hundred and fifty triangular and overlapping joints with very spinous edges. The first 

 two brachials are united by syzygy, and there is sometimes another in the third brachial ; 

 the next is about the tenth or twelfth, and others follow at intervals of two or three 

 joints. 



The first pinnule on the second distichal is very long and slender, reaching 20 mm, 

 with numerous short joints; the next one, normally on the second brachial, is of the same 

 character, but much smaller, and the next few are of decreasing length, after which there 

 is but little increase. The lowest pinnules have a well-defined comb which extends to 

 about the twelfth brachial, and sometimes appears quite far out on the arms ; the joints 

 of the middle and later pinnules are very spiny. 



Colour in spirit, — dark brown. 



Spread probably nearly 30 cm. 



Locality. — Banda ; 17 fathoms. One mutilated specimen. 



Remarks. — Only a single mutilated example of this remarkable species was obtained, 

 but its characters are sufficiently distinct to show that it cannot be referred either to 

 Actinometra novas-guineas or to Actinometra typica. It resembles the latter form in 

 the frequency of its ray-divisions, but differs from it altogether in having a relatively 

 large centro-dorsal bearing over twenty well-developed cirri. On the other hand there 

 are probably three times as many arms as in Actinometra novas-guineas, each of the rays 

 which are preserved bearing thirty or more; while the centro-dorsal is larger with more 

 numerous cirri than occur in that type. Its angles rest upon the raised marginal portions 

 of the radials, which are deeply hollowed in the centre and do not therefore come in 

 contact with the upper surface of the centro-dorsal, so that it overhangs them consider- 

 ably when the calyx is viewed from the dorsal side. 



