1904.] NATURAL SCIENPES OF PHILADELPHIA. 597 



a brighter and uniform red. It is easy to distinguish new parts by 

 this growth "color," even when the line of breakage is obliterated. 



From the great discrepancy in the size of the rays it follows that one 

 or two rays may be sexually mature, while others are small or even 

 buds. In two indi\aduals sexually mature August 4, 1901, the meas- 

 urements of rays show: &, 77.70.58.20 mm.; 9 , 70.65.52.13 mm. 



This species generally has two or more madreporites and two or 

 more ani. 



There is a great difference in the size of the madreporic body and 

 frequently, but not always, it is larger in large specimens. In 174 

 specimens 6 had one, 154 had. two, 11 had three, 2 had four and 1 

 had five madreporites. 



The ani are only visible in live animals. In 6S specimens 15 had 

 one, 48 had two, 3 had three, 1 had four ani. 



There may be some connection, as has been suggested, between 

 madreporites and breaking plane, but I have failed to find anything 

 satisfactory on the subject. Sometimes the largest ray, or a large ray, 

 is between two madreporic bodies. In 132 specimens 87 long arms 

 and 45 short arms were between the madreporites. 



There is a further irregularity in this species in the place from whicli 

 the reproductive material finds exit. Usually in asteroids it comes 

 from tlie angle between rays, but in Phataria the sperm and ova may 

 come from any part of the inner two-thirds of a ray. 



1 have also found this year (August, 1904) that a Phataria may have 

 two mouths. In fig. 22 there is a mouth at each meeting point (A and 

 B) of the ambulacral furrows. In No. 11 there are also indications 

 of two mouths, and in another specimen I have, but owing to the 

 rareness of the peculiarity I have not wished as yet to d(^stroy these 

 two sijecimens in order to prove the surmise. 



The want of symmetry in tliis Pliataria suggests the belief that the 

 al)ility to bf(nik and regenerate is greater in this species than in ordi- 

 nary Asteroidea, and that it is a common factor in the life of the species. 

 Most starfish can lose their rays and make new ones, but it is a gener- 

 ally accepted opinion among zoologists tliat :i. ray cannot make a new- 

 body unless some portion of the disk is present, in 1\ hi.fascialis (_!r. 

 there is a suggestion that a ray can regenerate a Ixidy, althougli the 

 evidence is inconclusive. The suggestion is seen in the series of figs. 

 1-11 in the plate. ^ 



' Since writing the above in 1901 I have been fortunate in a series of experi- 

 ments extending to the present time, August, 1904, in having a number of single 

 rays, cut at various places, regenerate the disk and other rays. I cut off rays, 

 and in that way the stretching of the pyloric cteca and tlie consequent loss of 



