GOODSIRS BRITTLE-STAR. 59 



star, that it is not until we look closely at its very distinct 

 characters, we can recognise it as something- different from 

 the young of that species. The disk of the Ophiocoma 

 Goodsiri is round, smooth, and very convex, covered with 

 small imbricated scales, which are rosulated in the centre, 

 the central scale being as usual in such cases largest. 

 Opposite the origins of each of the rays are two triangular 

 plates, which do not diverge, but are separated from each 

 other by a few scales. There are on one of the specimens 

 a few minute spines towards the margin of the disk near 

 these plates. Beneath, the intermediate plates are tri- 

 angular. The rays are covered above with transversely 

 oblong plates, which are slightly imbricated. Each of 

 the lateral ray-plates bears four conical spines, which are 

 rather shorter than the breadth of the ray. These spines 

 are not so rough as they usually are in this genus. The 

 plates of the under surface of the rays are somewhat 

 heart-shaped. The rays are about three times as long 

 as the body. The colour of the whole animal is white, 

 variegated with bright-red, the disk being beautifully 

 variegated, and the arms prettily belted. The disk mea- 

 sures a little more than two-tenths of an inch across. 



The first specimen of this species was found by Mr. 

 Goodsir in a Cod's stomach taken off Anstruther in Fife- 

 shire. When we were in Shetland, we found a second 

 adhering to a branch of Cellepora cervicornis, brought from 

 deep water by the Ling fishermen, so that we may regard 

 it as a deep-sea species. 



