240 Bvlletin Vanderbilt Marine Miiseum, Vol. VI 



areas large, irregularly subcircular ; the interspaces between the 

 papular areas are exceedingly narrowed, and the short, pointed 

 spines are quite as acuminate, although less numerous than as 

 figured in Doderlein, pi. 19, fig. 3, C. novae-guinae typica, yet are 

 more numerous than are figured by him in plana, pi. 19, fig. 1. 

 However, the actinal surface of the present Tahitian specimens 

 nearly agrees with his pi. 19, fig. 1, of plana. On the abactinal 

 surface larger, stout conical tubercles are sparsely interspersed 

 among the much finer tubercles, these larger spines becoming 

 more abundant toward the circumference. The madreporite is 

 small, oval, about 8 millimeters long diameter, with the surface 

 finely porous and the margin circled by about ten stout, conical 

 spines. The actinal surface has the large, conical tubercles ir- 

 regularly spaced, those near the center being close together, while 

 out toward the circumference these tubercles are more widely 

 spaced and have the surface between covered with a fine uniform 

 granulation. 



The second largest specimen, R=115 millimeters, is the more 

 typical novae-guinae form on the abactinal surface, the spines be- 

 ing very numerous and close together ; on the roundish papular 

 area and very narrow interstices, between the papular areas, the 

 spines are not so large, but are very pointed. They are also 

 abundant on the sides of the starfish and very pointed here and 

 also on the outer surface of the actinal surface. Toward the cen- 

 tral portion of the actinal surface the larger tubercles are more 

 rounded, like Doderlein's figure of plana, pi. 19. The furrow 

 spines are coarse, 5 or 6 in number. 



The largest starfish of the Tahitian series has an R of 135 

 millimeters and is the typical fonn of novae-guinae. The spines 

 of the actinal surface are smallish, conical, very acuminate and 

 closely set. The furrow spines are also very acuminate, 5 to 7. The 

 large roundish or oval papular areas are crowded close together, 

 the interspaces between being greatly reduced, very narrow and 

 in many instances semireticulated, with numerous acute spines 

 in series. There are also numerous fine, acuminate spines on the 

 papular areas interspersed among the pores. 



References : Culcita novae-guinae, Muller and Troschel, Sys- 

 tem der Asteriden, 1842, p. 38.— Sladen, W. P., Rept. Voy. 

 H. M. S. "Challenger" Zool., vol. Ill, 1889; Asteroidea, p. 



