70 " ENDEAVOUR " SCIENTIFIC RESULTS. 



points, there are only 3 series, a median, and one lateral on 

 each side. Each mesh contains one or more papulae, but in 

 the dry specimen, it is difficult to determine their presence. 

 Each plate of the skeleton bears a single, slender, pointed spine, 

 1-1.5 mm. long ; also numerous small pedicellarise, which may 

 be either on the plate itself or on the spine or on both ; often 

 the spines, particularly along the actinal margin, have large 

 wreaths or half -wreaths of pedicellariae. Adambulacral plates, 

 15 to 5 marginals, at base of arm ; armature of 2 spines, in a 

 transverse series ; they are about 1.5 mm. long and subequal 

 or the outer a trifle the longer ; the outer is also a trifle more 

 adoral. There are a very few, scattered, small pedicellarise 

 just within the margin of the ambulacral furrow, which is 

 notably broad and has the tube-feet in two distinct and well- 

 separated series. Oral plates not large, but projecting dis- 

 tally so as to slope sharply into the mouth ; each one bears 

 3 smooth spines ; one on the actinal surface, which is similar 

 to, about as long as, but stouter than the adambulacral spines; 

 a, second is still stouter and blunter and stands at the proximal 

 end of the plate ; while the third is much shorter than either 

 of the others, is situated at the proximo-lateral corner of the 

 plate and extends straight out across the ambulacral furrow ; 

 it carries a few small pedicellarise. Madreporite large (2 mm. 

 across), conspicuous, near margin of disk. Colour (dry) ; 

 skeleton and spines, white ; membranes and feet, brown. 



This species is quite unUke the Atlantic members of the 

 genus but bears considerable resemblance to P. improvisus, 

 Ludwig, from the Galapagos Islands. It difters noticeably 

 in the armature of the oral plates, however, as well as in some 

 other details (number of papulae, length of spines, etc.). The 

 inequality of the arms suggests that schizogony occurs, but 

 it is possible that the condition of the present specimen is 

 accidental. 



Loc. — East of Maria Island, Tasmania, 78 fathoms. 



Family ASTERIIDiE. 

 Genus Allostichaster, Verrill. 

 Allostichaster polyplax {Muller and Troschel). 



Asteracanthion polyplax, Miiller and Troschel, Arch. f. 

 Naturg., x. i., 1844, p. 178. 



Allostichaster polyplax, Verrill, Harriman Alaska Exped., 



Starfishes, 1914, p. 363. 

 It is a httle odd that this well-known Austrahan Starfish 

 should have been taken only at Oyster Bay, Tasmania ; not 



