JAPANESE ASTEEOroEA. 315 



truncate tip ; their base-liue forms a slight curve, trending rather obKquely 

 adoi-ally. At a short distance behind the fiuTOw series are three or fom* 

 low, prismatic, laterall}' elongate gi'anules, wliich form a sKghtly arched or 

 sti-aight series, traversing the plate slightly obhquely, the aboral end of the 

 series being nearest the marginal or furrow series of spinelets. The re- 

 mainder of the plate external to these is covered with large, low, sub- 

 prismatic gi-anules, wliich may form two or three subregular parallel lines but 

 seldom definitely regular. Normally each adambulacral plate bears a single 

 large two-valved excavate pedicellaria which is usually placed at the adorai 

 extremity of the first series of granules beliind the fmTow series, although 

 occasionally it is found immediately behind this second series, but always 

 adjacent to the adorai margin of the plate. Rarely near the mouth these 

 pedicellarife may be rather irregular in construction, and formed of tln'ee oi" 

 more valves. 



" The mouth-plates are elongate and triangular, slightly truncate 

 exteriorly, and with the free margin of each plate forming a straight line 

 in continuation of the series of adambulacral plates, the united pair com- 

 pleting exactly the apex of the rectilineal angle of the actinal inten-adial 

 area, bounded by the two adjacent fmTows. The actinal sm-face of the 

 plates is plane or very faintly convex. The armature of each plate consists 

 of a marginal series of nine or ten short, prismatic, roimdly truncate spine- 

 lets, exactly similar to those upon the adambulacral plates, but which in- 

 crease shghtly in size as they approach the inner extremity of the mouth- 

 plate. On the actinal smface of the plate a row of about seven or eight 

 large, low, irregular-shaped, prismatic gi'anules nms parallel to the median 

 sutm-e. The innermost two of this series might also be reckoned as parallel 

 to the marginal series, and tlu-ee or four similar gi-anules continue a hne 

 in this direction. Two or tln'ee small prismatic granules occupy the angular 

 area between the two main series above described, and along the base-hne 

 of this area, which abuts on the first free adambulacral plate, is a straight 

 series of similar granules. 



" The actinal inteiTadial areas are paved with a great number of small, 

 normally quadi*angular, but occasionally polygonal, intermediate plates. 



