Mr. H. Seeley on two new species of Chalk Starfishes. 335 



the darkest, and have a plain, curved claw at their extremity. 

 The abdomen is short, oviform, hairy, convex above, and projects 

 a little over the base of the cephalo-thorax ; the upper part is of 

 a sooty-brown colour; the anterior extremity, contiguous to the 

 cephalo-thorax, the sides, under part, and spinners have a dull 

 yellowish-white hue ; the colour of the branchial opercula and 

 tracheal stigmata is also dull yellowish- white, the former having 

 a tinge of brown, and in the space between them there is an 

 irregular whitish spot. 



This spider, which had not arrived at maturity, was taken in 

 Pernambuco in 1858 by Mr. Eyton Williams. 



XXXIII. — Description of two new species of Chalk Starfishes. 

 By H. Seeley, Esq. 



To the Editors of the Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 



Gentlemen, 45 Great Ormond Street, Sept. 3, 1858. 



The fragmentary condition of the specimens described might 

 seem to render the accuracy of the descriptions doubtful ; but 

 no one can doubt that the essential specific characters of a 

 Goniaster are nearly as well exemplified in a single side as they 

 would be in a whole Starfish, the only danger being that in 

 specimens so imperfect you might have an abnormal form, a 

 monstrosity, or a made-up fossil : but all these possibilities have 

 been fully discussed, and the subjects of them submitted to an 

 exceedingly careful examination, the result of which has been 

 that the evidences of both specimens being new species have so 

 increased, that it would be useless longer to delay their publica- 

 tion. Neither species is likely to be mistaken for any yet 

 described. 



Truly yours, 



Henry Seeley, 

 Hod. Sec. to the Museum, W.M.C. 



Goniaster [Goniodiscus) Forbesii, S. 



Body ? Sides very gently curved outwards. It has two ob- 

 long, convex, rather swollen superior intermediate marginal 

 plates, each bearing two rows of laterally- 

 oblong, proportionately large protube- 2? PPer * Under - 

 ranees. The inner edge of the ossicles 

 is slightly rabbeted ; this appears to the 

 naked eye as possibly caused by the two 

 protuberances there placed being greatly 

 developed ; but a lens shows the margin 

 as a flat field, out of which the cushioned 



23* 



Upper. Under. 



If 



