142 s. CMDTO : 



top are expanded, and the latter is circnlar or elliptical in an 

 apical view. 



Madreporite. — The madreporite sometimes show well, but is 

 more often hidden from view by the crowns of the surrounding 

 paxiUge. When freed and exposed it is tolerably large, with 

 strongly lobed borders, and half as far removed from the margin 

 of the disk as from the centre (PI. Ill, fig. 40). 



Terminal plate. — Bilobed. 



Locality. — Astropecten scoparius is the commonest starfish in 

 Japan. It is especially common on sandy or muddy flats which 

 are exposed at low tide, but is also found at greater depths 

 (20-30 fathoms). Its colour varies from light greyish blue to 

 light brown. I have examined specimens from Otaru, Shiribeshi 

 (Hokkaido), Aomori Bay, Misaki and vicinity, Tokyo Bay, 

 Uraga Channel, Zushi, Tateyama Bay, Wakanoura (Kishyu), 

 Tomo (Bingo, on the Inland Sea), Shikajima (off Fukuoka), 

 Gulf of Isé, Miyazu (Tango), Namerikawa (Etchu), Enoura (Suruga 

 Bay), Gulf of Kagoshima. Specimens in S.C., I.M., H.N.S., 

 H.N.S.W., S., F.B., I.H.S., 0. 



Remarks. — It only remains for me to add a few remarks on 

 the synonymy of this species. That Astropecten japonicu^ should 

 perhaps be amalgamated with Astr. scoparius occurred to Sladen, 

 and DÖDERLEiN took this step later. The specimen described by 

 Müller and Troschel as Astr. japonicus evidently had weakly 

 developed supcromarginal spines. In my opinion Astr. liempricliii 

 should also be united with the present species. The differences 

 that deserve consideration are the radial ratio and the projecting 

 character of the inferomarginals. As mentioned above, the latter 

 character varies to some extent, and taken alone can not, in my 



