148 Mr. Forbes on the Radiata of the Eastern Mediterranean. 



the papillae, wliicli form combs for the protection of the mouth, are serrate, or 

 rather ciliate, on their margins, a character not met with in any of the other 

 genera. 



The skeleton has several peculiarities. The disc-skeleton consists only of 

 the shields opposite the origins of the rays, which in the species I have taken 

 are linear and nearly parallel. They are connected together and jointed to 

 the framework of the rays by a band of small scales. Each of the disc- shields 

 has a process consisting of four small imbricated scales projecting from its 

 outer margin. Two long divaricating processes spring from each interme- 

 diate plate to join the disc-origin of the arms beneath : these may be con- 

 sidered as belonging to the genital-skeleton. The peculiarity of the splanchno - 

 skeleton has already been noticed. The ray- or myo-skeleton differs from that 

 of all other Ophiuridce. The upper ray-scales are each formed of two trian- 

 gular ossicula, each connected with the lateral ray-plates by two very small 

 ones ; the under ray-scales are directly articulated with the lateral ray- 

 plates. 



The species which inhabits the ^gean Sea has a pentagonal, flat, coria- 

 ceous and smooth disc, having two linear, nearly parallel, separate shields op- 

 posite the origin of each ray. The upper ray-scales are very narrow, longitu- 

 dinally lenticular (each composed of two ossicula), and connected together by 

 the skin of the arm : the lower ones are cordate, larger and closer. The late- 

 ral ray-plates bear four spines each, the uppermost spine longest. The spines 

 are smooth towards their bases, but tapering and serrated above. The ridge 

 on which they are placed enables them to lie rather close, but not quite. They 

 are not so long as the ray is broad. The rays are nearly seven times as long 

 as the disc is broad. The ovarian plates are small, and transversely sub- 

 pentagonal. The colour when alive is olive. It lives in between 10 and 20 

 fathoms water, and several specimens were taken in the sea of the Cyclades. 



The genus may be characterized thus : — 



Corpus pentagonale, coriaceum, laeve, ad peripheriam radiatum; radiis simplicibus inter- 

 rupte squamosis ; disco in radiorum origines prolongatis ; squamis radiorum lateralibus 

 spiniferis, spinis serrulatis ; ossiculis ovarialibus binis parvis, oralibus spinis serrulatia 

 armatis. 



