REPORT ON THE ASTEROIDEA. 211 



although there is no great disparity in the length of any of them excepting the first, which 

 is very small. Two or three irregular rows, with the spinelets in each shorter than those 

 in the preceding row, stand behind the lateral series, and form a gradual transition into 

 the spiniform squamulation of the plate. Consequent on this arrangement the lateral 

 spines have a short, compact, and almost tufted appearance, whilst the series forms a thick 

 and closely crowded fringe along the ray. The squamules of the infero-marginal plates 

 are rather long, flat, and rounded, or obtusely pointed at the extremity, and although 

 numerous they are not very closely placed. Three or four more prominent squamules, 

 simulating spinelets, form a line along the aboral margin of the plate, and occasionally 

 similar ones may be found here and there on other parts of the plate. 



Not more than six or eight actinal intermediate plates are present, and they carry very 

 small, short, and equal-sized papilliform spinelets, which appear to form a kind of pedi- 

 cellaria. 



The armature of the adambulacral plates consists of short spines, which are arranged in 

 two series. The inner series consists of three spines, which are short, cylindrical, slightly 

 taper and obtuse, the middle one being more robust, compressed laterally, geniculate 

 and prominent in the furrow. The outer series near the middle of the ray has three 

 spines which are equal to, or rather longer than, the inner series, but more robust, slightly 

 compressed, and obtusely rounded at the tips ; these run obliquely across the plate, the 

 adoral spinelet often being in the position of a third series. On the inner portion of 

 the ray one or two supplementary spinelets may be present, external to the oblique line of 

 three spines above mentioned. 



The mouth-plates are elongate, and form a long, prominent, narrow keel along the line 

 of suture. Upon the keel there is a single line of spinelets on each plate, which are rather 

 long, robust, compressed, and subpapilliform ; these are seven to nine in number, and they 

 diminish in size aborally. On the outer free margin of the plate there are about eight 

 spinelets — the innermost three, which with the corresponding spinelets of the companion 

 mouth-plate form the comb of spines projecting horizontally over the mouth, are longer 

 than the rest, and are slightly curved inward at their extremities in the direction of the 

 horizontal plane of the mouth-area. The remaining spinelets are much smaller and 

 equal-sized, and the series does not reach beyond a line drawn at right angles through the 

 middle of the median suture-line. 



The armature of the first adambulacral plate beyond the mouth-plates consists of fifteen 

 or more pairs of small, equal, papilliform spinelets, ranged in two parallel lines, and apposed 

 to one another, which form a remarkably elegant organ, probably of pedicellarian functions. 

 On the outer portion of the second adambulacral plate there is a partial repetition of this 

 arrangement. 



The madreporiform body is small, but tubercular, and is situated nearer the margin 

 than midway to the centre. 



