GRANULATED BRITTLE-STAR. 51 



see a squamous skin beneath, exactly similar to that pre- 

 sented in the Ophiocoma filiformis and its allies, only the 

 scales are much smaller. Looking at the body in its 

 ordinary state, we also see no trace of scales opposite the 

 origins of the rays as in the other Brittle-stars, which, if 

 it were really the case, would reduce the presence of those 

 scales from generic, or rather family rank, as sources of 

 character to specific importance ; but if we examine the 

 denuded disk very attentively, we shall find there are two 

 such scales of a triangular form placed in the usual posi- 

 tion, though at a greater distance from each other than 

 is usual in the genus. There are some foreign species 

 nearly allied to the one before us, which form a gradation 

 between it and our other Brittle-stars ; since in them we 

 see the granulated surface as in ours, but denuded for a 

 little space above the plates or scales opposite the origins 

 of the rays, so as to allow them to peep out, as it were, 

 from their hiding-places. The granules composing the 

 second surface of the disk, are extremely stunted little 

 spines, themselves rough with sharp points. 



The rays are smooth, covered above with transversely 

 ovate scales, and beneath with nearly square plates. 

 Their margins are clothed with spines arranged in trans- 

 verse rows of from one to three, being most numerous 

 towards the origins of the rays. There are also two little 

 obsolete or undeveloped spines at the edge of each of the 

 under ray-plates. The rays taper gradually, and vary in 

 their proportions as compared with the disk, but are ge- 

 nerally from three to three and a half times as long as 

 the disk is broad. The ray-spines are long, slender, and 

 sharp, and when magnified appear very rough. Beneath, 

 the origins of the rays are separated by ovate-triangular 

 transverse plates. 



The disk of this species generally measures half or three- 



E 2 



