312 ALLAN HANCOCK PACIFIC EXPEDITIONS VOL.8 



Distribution.— The Velero has taken excentricus at 42 stations, of 

 which the northernmost was on the Oregon coast, 43° 41' N Lat. and the 

 most southern near the tip of Lower California. No specimens have been 

 taken at the Galapagos Islands or near any of the off shore islands. The 

 great bulk of the material is from shallow water, out to about 20 fms, for 

 the most part, but a few specimens have been taken in 40-50 fms and one 

 specimen is labeled as from 113-127 fms, southeast of Marcial Point on 

 the east coast of Lower California. There is perhaps some mistake about 

 this label as no other specimens are known from the Gulf. Other authors 

 extend the range to Alaska. 



Type. — Unknown. 



Type locality. — "An der Kuste der Insel Unalaschka, am Kamt- 

 schatischen Meere." (Grant and Hertlein, 1938, p. 84) 



Depth. — Shore to 50 fms. 



Specimens examined. — ^Approximately 12,316 specimens from 42 



stations. 



Dendraster laevis", new species 

 Plate 50, Figs. 34-36 



Length 52 mm, breadth 57 mm, height 6 mm; the breadth is thus 

 markedly greater than the length; in young specimens, however, the 

 length may be greater, a specimen 30 mm long is only 28 mm wide ; the 

 largest specimen is 68 mm long, 75 mm wide and 8 mm high. Lower 

 surface perfectly flat, the mouth not depressed at all. Both mouth and 

 periproct are remarkably small, the former 2 mm, the latter scarcely 1 mm 

 across. The petaloid area is remarkably small, only about 26 mm long by 

 29 mm across; the apex is 30 mm from the anterior margin. Anterior 

 petal is longest but the anterior paired petals are nearly as long, 15 to 15.5 

 mm ; posterior petals about 1 1 mm. All the petals are about 6 mm wide. 

 The pore-pairs are so small and the tuberculation of the whole test is so 

 fine, there are no very evident distinctive features, but the pore-pairs make 

 a single narrow band along each side of each petal ; the intermediate area 

 is quite uniformly covered with minute tubercles. The four genital pores 

 are quite evident but the ocular pores are indistinct. Both above and below 

 the outlines of the plates composing the test are clearly shown and the 

 pattern they make is striking. This feature is not at all evident in either 

 the larger specimens or in the bare tests but it is a very handsome feature 

 of the holotype. Primary spines short and slender, knobbed at the tip. 



^ laevis — smooth, in reference to the remarkably close coat of delicate spines. 



