124 GONIASTERI.E. 



whitish markings, and straw colour beneath. The largest 

 specimen I have taken measured three inches and a half 

 across ; generally they are little more than half that size. 



This species was named by my friend, Mr. W. Thomp- 

 son, after the late Mr. Templeton, so well known for his 

 researches in the natural history of Ireland. It is the 

 species recorded as Irish by Mr. Templeton under the 

 name of " Asterias equestris V in his papers on the Ra- 

 diate Animals of Ireland, in the ninth volume of the 

 Magazine of Natural History. The specimen there men- 

 tioned was " found by James Grimshaw, Esq. in Belfast 

 Loch; 1 '' it was thrown ashore after a storm. Mr. Gray 

 showed me specimens in the British Museum obtained by 

 Dr. Leach in Plymouth Sound. As long ago as 1819, Mr. 

 Ball obtained several specimens from the Nymph Bank, off 

 Waterford. They were brought up on long lines. Dr. 

 Coldstream found it some years ago in Bute. Mr. Smith, 

 of Jordan Hill, has taken it by dredging near the same 

 island, and also in Lamlash Bay, in the island of Arran. 

 Mr. Philip Maclagan found it on the coast of Ayrshire, 

 and Dr. Pollexfen on the shores of Orkney. I have 

 dredged it frequently on the north-western coast of the 

 Isle of Man, where it lives among scallops in deep water. 

 I do not think it has been observed on the eastern coast 

 as yet. The Asterias pulvillus of Muller, Zoologia Danica, 

 tab. xci. nearly resembles this Cushion-star. The attitude 

 there drawn is frequently presented by our animal when 

 alive. The form of the tessellse on the under surface is, 

 however, so different that I dare not venture to consider 

 the species identical with ours, especially as the tessellse are 

 of specific importance in this genus. Professor Agassiz 

 informs me that Dr. Fleming's specimen of his Asterias 

 irregularis is this species. 



