JAPANESE ASTEEOroEA. 125 



little, if any, broader than tlie marginal plate. The paxiUae are large and 

 closel}' crowded — so mncli so tliat the radii (of wliich there are 8-9 and 

 very robust) of a paxilla are dii^ected upward, instead of at right angles to 

 their pedicle ; and tliis gives to the paxillay area a gi-anulate rather than 

 a stellate appearance to the naked eye, and without any indication of 

 regular arrangement. 



" Dr. LÜTKEN remarks on never having seen an Astr. japonicus with 

 the spines upon the dorsal marginal plates. On the specimen luider 

 consideration these are so smaU that they might easily be passed over 

 without notice, — whilst, further, it is a character of such usual variabüity 

 that I am fuUy prepared to bsHeve in the existence of examples in which they 

 are wanting altogether, their rudimentary state on the present specimen quite 

 leading to that idea. A seemingly parallel instance may be pointed to in 

 the case of Astr. euryacantlms, Ltk., in the premature stages of which small 

 spines are present on the outer margin of the dorsal marginal plates towards 

 the ends of the arms, but no trace of them remains in the adult. 



" Our knowledge of this species at present is ver}- scanty ; and it may 

 not be beyond the range of probability that a more extensive series of 

 specimens will require the modification of our cmTent ideas of the form 

 altogether, and possibly even its amalgamation with such a species as A. 

 scqparius, Avhen more is definitely known about the premature stages of 

 these Astropectens." 



According to de Lopjol ['85, ]p. 74] the form described by Möbius ['80, p. 

 50] under the name of Astro])eden mauritianus is identical with Astro]), itempricliii. 



Sladen mentions Astro]), japonicus in liis prehminary paper on the 

 ChaUeuger Asteroidea ['83, p. 255] : 



" Astropeden japonicus, Müller and Teoschel. 



" Station. Off Yokohama, Jax^an. Dex^tli 8-14 fms. ; 5-25 fms. 



" Station 233 A. Kobi, Japan. Lat. 34° 35' N., long. 135° 10' E. Depth 

 8-50 fms. ; mud, sand. 



" Station 233 B. Lat. 34° 20' N. ; long. 133° 35' E. Depth 15 fms. ; mud." 



Bell mentions Astropeden hempricMi (?) from Mosambique and the 

 Seychelles ['84a, p. 510]. 



