JAPANESE ASTEROIDEA. 277 



" The madi-eporiform body is entirely obscured by paxillœ. 



" Coloiu' in filcohol, il dirty greyish white. 



" Locality. — Station 238. Oif the coast of Japan, south of Ivawatsu. June 

 17, 1875. Lat. 34° 37' 0" N., long. U0° 32' 0" E. Depth 1875 fathoms. 

 Blue mud. Bottom temperature 35°. 3 Fain*. ; sm-face temperatm^e 73°.0 Fahr. 



" Remaries. — Psïiaster gracilis has a very different faciès from any of 

 the other species described, and it is not without hesitation that I have 

 included it in the genus. It is at once distinguished by its narrow 

 subcylindrical rays and widely rounded interbrachial arcs ; by the papiUi- 

 form covering of the marginal plates ; by the large inner pair of mouth- 

 spines ; and by the general character of the actinal spinulation." 



Nauricia pulchella Gray. 



I can not form any definite opinion as to the systematic position of this 

 starfish, except that from a statement of Gray quoted below it appears to be 

 nearly related to Craspidaster Joesperus. The following scanty notices are the only 

 ones that I have been able to find out from the Kteratm-e accessible to me. 



Nauricia Gray is placed by its author in the Astropectinidce, which is 

 characterised thus [Gray, '40, p. 180] : " Back flattish, netted with numerous 

 tubercles, crowned with radiating spines at the tip, called Paxilh." The 

 first subdivision of the Astropectinidce contains forms which have " the 

 margin of the rays ciliated with a series of simple elongated spines, the 

 paxilli or crowned tubercles regularly radiating " [ '40, p. 180]. The first 

 gi'oup imder tliis subdivision, in which Nauricia is included, has " the rays 

 edged with a series of large regular tubercles, which increase in number as 

 the animal gi'ows " [ '40, p. 180].'> The genus and species are then cliarac- 

 terised as follows [ '40, p. 180] : 



"Nauricia Gray. 



" The ambulacral spines broad and ciliated ; 2 series of tesserœ be- 

 tween the angles of the arms and the mouth beneath. Asiatic. 



1) It must be remarked that this group contains Astropecten corniculatus { = Cte7K>discus 

 a'ispatus) and other heterogeneous forms. 



