REPORT ON THE ASTEROIDEA. 621 



position as the spinelets arming the adambulacral plates, indeed from the fact that this 

 spine (or pair of spines) separates the first aud second pair of ambulacral tube-feet, it is 

 doubtful \\ liether they can properly be ranked with the mouth-plate armature or not. It 

 is here easy to see that the secondary or superficial mouth-spine is the representative of the 

 large outer perpendicular spine of the adambulacral armature throughout the ray ; like 

 tbem also it is encased in a membranous sheath crowded with pediccllaria). The short 

 marginal mouth-spines are cylindrical and tapering, covered with a close-fitting membrane, 

 with a few isolated pedicellariee on their shaft, usually situated more or less midway 

 between the extremities. 



The ambulacral tube-feet are stout and short, with a well-developed sucker-disk 

 strongly invaginated centrally. 



The madreporiform body is small and more or less hidden by the dermal spinelets of 

 the disk ; its presence, however, is indicated by the irregularity of spinelets about it, and 

 its position is very little removed from the margin of the abactinal surface. 



Colour in alcohol, a bleached yellowish white, the lateral spinelets being a purer 

 white. 



Locality.— Station 237. Off the coast of Japan, south of Kawatsu. June 17, 1875. 

 Lat. 34° 37' 0" N., long. 140° 32' 0" E. Depth 1875 fathoms. Blue mud. Bottom 

 temperature 35°"3 Fahr. ; surface temperature 73 o, Fahr. 



Remarks. — Freyella pennata may be distinguished from the <5ther members of the 

 genus by the character of the armature of the mouth-plates and of the adambulacral 

 plates, and by the presence of ten comparatively broad robust rays. The presence of the 

 additional small spinelet on the furrow margin of the adambulacral plates appears to be 

 dependent on age. In some large fragments of this species even three are present at the 

 base of the ray, and form a small oblique series ; this number, however, appears to be of 

 rare occurrence. 



2. Freyella polycnema, n. sp. (PI. CIX. figs. 12-17). 



Rays seventeen. R = ? mm. ; r= 5*75 mm. Breadth of a ray at the base, l - 8 mm. 



Rays very delicate, subtriangular in section, with a median carination. Unfortunately 

 only a few small fragments were collected, and all are detached from the disk and much 

 mutilated ; it is, therefore, impossible to state the length or to describe the general habit 

 of the rays. 



The disk is very small and depressed, with the abactinal surface slightly concave in 

 its present state, and the margin abruptly bevelled to the base of the rays. The abactinal 

 surface of the disk is covered with delicate membrane, which appears to be beset with 

 minute plates bearing minute, conical, sharply pointed thornlets, distinctly spaced and 

 quite microscopic in size. The membrane which covers the abactinal surface of the rays 



