66 " ENDEAVOUR " SCIENTIFIC RESULTS. 



Genus Plbctaster, Sladen. 



Plectaster decanus {Mailer and Troschel). 



(Plate xxvi., fig. 1-2.) 



Echinaster decanus, Miiller and Troschel, Arch. f. Naturg., 

 ix.i., 1843, p. 114. 



Plectaster decanus, Sladen, Chall. Rep., Zool., xxx., 1889, 

 p. 535. 



This remarkable species never having been figured, it seems 

 desirable to figure it here, and the Port Jackson specimen is 

 shown on PI. xxvi., fig. 1-2. Init,R = 115mm., andr=27mm. ; 

 R=4 r. The specimens from Shoalhaven Bight, New South 

 Wales, are smaller and not so well preserved, but they appear 

 to have been placed in formalin and then dried, and hence 

 are more nearly the natural colour. In them the papula areas 

 are bright reddish-purple, while the skeleton and spinelets 

 are Ught yellowish in sharp contrast ; on the actinal surface, 

 there is a considerable suffusion of reddish-purple, especially 

 interradially, near the mouth. The Port Jackson specimen 

 is yellowish-brown, the papular areas darker than the skeleton. 

 Three specimens. 



Locs. — Shoalhaven Bight, New South Wales, 15-45 fathoms. 

 Off George Head, Port Jackson, New South Wales. 



Family SOLASTERID^. 



Genus Crossaster, Miiller and Troschel. 



Crossaster multispinus,! sp. nov. 



(Plate xviii., fig. 5-6.) 



Rays 11. R=40 mm.; r=20 mm.; R=2r. Br=10 

 mm. ; R=4 Br. Abactinal skeleton an open mesh-Avork of 

 narrow, rather dehcate ossicles, leaving large papular areas, 

 in which, however, the papulae are few, large, isolated. 

 Pseudopaxillae rather crowded on disk, but more widely 

 spaced on arms ; each bears a tuft of 8-15 long, slender, 

 acicular spines, exceeding the stalk in length. Supero- 

 marginals insignificant. Inferomarginals few, widely spaced, 

 conspicuous, about 16 on each side of an arm ; they are 

 greatly compressed at summit into a narrow vertical ridge, 

 carry 25 (more or fewer) sharp, spinelets, most of which are 

 shorter than those on the abactinal pseudopaxiUse. Actinal 



1. Multispinus=-with. many spines ; in reference to the armature of the 

 adambulacral and oral plates. 



