120 GONIASTERI.E. 



spines, ranging from two to six in each tuft, arranged in 

 regular rows, which on the rays proceed from the disk to 

 the angles. The madreporiform tubercle is small, coarsely 

 striate, and sub-central in its position. Beneath, the tri- 

 angular spaces are covered with spines, arranged similarly 

 with those above, but not grouped in tufts, being mostly 

 single. The avenues are very narrow and deep, and are 

 bordered by longitudinal tufts of spines arranged in threes. 

 The spines of the surface behind these are in some speci- 

 mens longer than usual, and arranged in pairs, so as to 

 present the appearance of a second set of border spines. 

 A semicircle of seven or eight long stout spines project 

 from the oral angle of each triangular space, and form a 

 sort of cover to the mouth. The avenues widen at the 

 extremities so as to expose the eyes, and thus give a 

 notched appearance to the angles. The colour is generally 

 greenish yellow, sometimes tinged with red, and sometimes 

 brownish. The largest specimen with which I am ac- 

 quainted is one in Mr. Ball's collection, measuring one inch 

 and five lines across. 



The Gibbous Starlet is widely distributed on our coasts, 

 though apparently confined to the western and southern 

 shores of Britain. It was noticed as a British species at 

 a very early period. Petiver figures it as " LuicTs small 

 Donegal Sea-star." Link also figures it as British from 

 Luid. In England it is found in Cornwall by Mr. Couch, 

 where it was also observed by Borlase. In the Isle of 

 Man I find it in pools among the limestone rocks at 

 Castletown when the tide goes out ; and Dr. Coldstream 

 found many specimens in the same locality. I have taken 

 it in similar situations though not on the same sort of rock, 

 in Herm, one of the Channel Islands. In Scotland I have 

 found it on the gneiss shores of Ross-shire. In Ireland, 



