JAPANESE ASTEROIDEA. 15 



of the other two, at the apex of the angular projection of the plate ; (2.) on 

 the actinal surface of the plate are three spines, often flattened and trun- 

 cate forming a lineal series shghtly oblique in relation to the axis of the 

 ray (on the outer part of the ray there are usually only two^^) ; behind 

 these are two much smaller spinelets, j^laced wide a^^art and close to the 

 margins of the plate. Sometimes one of these spinelets might also be 

 counted as belonging to the oblique series just mentioned, and sometimes 

 one of them is wanting. 



" The occurrence of the pedicellarise on the adambulacral x^lates in tliis 

 species is very erratic, some examples being well provided, wliile others liave 

 very few. The pedicellarige, which are large and highly developed, have 

 Ijeen figured and described by Peerier. A similar irregularity in the oc- 

 cm-rence of the pedicellariie has been noticed by De Loeiol in Archaster 

 angulatiis ; and I have observed the same fact in sx3ecimens from Mauritius 

 in mj own collection." 



Sladen mentions it from the Mergui Ai'chipelago. He gives Astropeckn 

 stellaris Gray and Archaster nicobaricus Möbius as synonyms ['89a, j)« 

 322]. The exact locahties are, " King Island (native name Padaiv) ; Feb. 

 1882. Sir WiUiam James Island; 7th. Dec. 1881." Von Martens mentions 

 it from New Guinea ['89, p. 184, ßde Zool. Eecord], and Studer from the 

 coUection of the " Gazelle " ['89, p. 248 and 256, ßcle Zool. Record]. 



Iyes mentions tliis species from Hawaii ['89, p. 175]. For his remarks 

 see below under Fisher [: 06]. 



De Loeiol describes it from the Bay of Amboina as follows ['93, p. 378] : 



" Plusiem's exemplaires. Parfois un petit piquant conique se trouve sm* 

 quelques-imes des pLaques marginales dorsales, ainsi que l'ont déjà fait remar- 

 quer plusiem-s autem-s. Dans un individu dont 11 = 52 mm on en compte 8 

 à 10 sm- deux des bras, 3 ou 4 sur deux autres, et point sur le cinquième. 

 Dans ce même individu un pédicellaire en pince se trouve j)resque régulière- 

 ment entre les deux piquants tronqués de la rangée externe des piquants des 



1) " LÜTKEN has remarked on the apparent discrepancy in the original diagnosis of Müller 

 and Tboschel (System der Asteriden, p. 65), in which two are stated to be the normal number. 

 (Yidenskab. Medd. naturh. Foren, i Kj^benhavn, 1864 (1865), p. 135)." 



