C)G oPiiruH.E. 



young Ophiurse, while the flatness and firmness of the 

 disk, and the general aspect of the Ophiocoma minuta have 

 all the aspect of maturity. 



The disk, which I have never found to exceed two- 

 tenths of an inch in breadth, is pentangular and flat, 

 covered above with very short, rough, trifurcated spines. 

 Opposite the base of each ray are two large triangular 

 scales. The rays are imbricated above with short sub- 

 carinated triangular scales, and clothed below with square 

 plates. Their sides are set with transverse ridges, each 

 bearing three or four long, sharp, pectinated spines, one- 

 fonrth of their length longer than the breadth of the ray. 

 The rays are generally more than six times as long as the 

 disk is broad. 



It is a very pretty species, the centre of the disk being 

 generally occupied by a white pentangle, which is bordered 

 by deep red, the plates opposite the rays being bluish- 

 grey. The rays themselves are grey, belted with rose- 

 colour ; and the spines are some white, others rose. It 

 lives buried in sand at very low water. I have hitherto 

 found it only on the shore of Ballaugh, Isle of Man. 



Mr. W. Thompson records it in the Annals of Natural 

 History for May 1840, as an inhabitant of the north of 

 Ireland, and mentions that it has also been found in Court 

 Muskerry Harbour (county Cork) by Mr. Allman. 



I think it not unlikely that this is the " Hirsuta seu 

 Stella grallatoria vel Macrosceles Luidii," said by Link to 

 have been found by Llhewyd at Denbigh in Wales, and 

 called by Pennant Asterias minuta. 



