EEK)RT ON THE ASTEROIDEA. 251 



Remarks. — The young forms of this species appear to me to agree so closely with the 

 brief descriptions of Luidia elegans, Perrier, and Luidia variegata, Perrier, that after a 

 careful study of the present series of specimens, I have felt the strongest temptation to con- 

 sider that the two species just named were growth-stages of Luidia alternata. As I have 

 not had an opportunity of seeing the types of either Luidia elegans or Luidia variegata, 

 I refrain from expressing a definite opinion upon the subject. Luidia elegans is cited by 

 Verrill 1 as a distinct species in the results of the " Albatross" dredgings, and this circum- 

 stance would naturally lead to the inference that the forms are perhaps better distinguished 

 than I have supposed. At any rate the figures assigned to Luidia elegans in that work 

 bear no resemblance to the species I have studied. On the other hand, Luidia variegata 

 has been placed as a synonym of Luidia alternata by Ludwig, 2 in his account of the 

 Asteroidea collected by Professor Ed. Van Beneden on the coast of Brazil. 



I can confirm Ludwig's statement that pedicellariae are not present in the young stages 

 of Luidia alternata, from specimens collected by the Challenger. 



3. Luidia limbata, n. sp. (PI. XLIV. figs. 3 and 4; PI. XLV. figs. 7 and 8). 



Pays five. R = 110 mm., r = 15 mm. R = 7 '3 r. Breadth of a ray near the base, at 

 the broadest part, 18 mm. 



Rays moderately long, very flat, and rather broad, tapering slowly from the base to 

 the extremity, which is not very attenuate ; frequently with a slight lateral constriction at 

 the base. Abactinal and actinal surfaces subplane, bevelled towards the margin, which is 

 subangular, slightly rounded. 



The paxillse of the abactinal area are large, compact, closely fitting, and square, except 

 along the median radial line and the centre of the disk. The larger paxillse bear on the 

 tabulum about a dozen, or even more, low, hemispherical granules, subequal, comparatively 

 large and well-spaced, and round the margin a series of very small, short, cilia-like spinelets, 

 about two dozen or more in number, the series often appearing to be double. There are 

 three to four regular longitudinal series of square paxillse at the sides of the ray. In the 

 intermediate area along the median radial line the paxillse are smaller, and have a tendency 

 (more marked in some examples than others) to become rounded or irregular in form. 



The paxillse, which represent the aborted supero-marginal plates, are remarkable for 

 bearing on their tabulum a broad, low, valvular pedicellaria resembling the form frequently 

 found in Pentagonasteridse. These pedicellaria? are most numerous in the neighbourhood of 

 the interbrachial arcs, and may there extend upon the adjacent one or two series of longitu- 

 dinal paxillse. Along the ray, however, they are generally confined to the outermost or 

 "supero-marginal" series. Sometimes on the inner part of the ray there are two pedicel- 



1 Report of Commits. Fish and Fisheries for 1883, "Washington, 1885, p. 543, pL xiii. figs. 39, 39a. 



2 Mem. Com. Acad. roy. Belgique, 1882, t. sliv. p. 9. 



