JAPANESE ASTEROIDEA. 327 



tend to the tip of the ray, t'^'o or more series sex^aratiug the outermost 

 supero-margiual plates from the correspoudiug x)lates ou the other side of 

 the raj. Seeu from above the abactiual plates have a strikingly paxilliforra 

 appearance, when their granulation is intact ; the subcircular tabulum is 

 smTOunded by a marginal series of small uniform, slightly elongate granules, 

 moderately spaced, and so placed that they appear to radiate slightly apai-t. 

 Within this ring are several small hemispherical granules, the majority of 

 -vvliich are larger than the marginal series, but are in no sense elongate. A 

 small valvate pedicellaria formed by two contingent granules is present on 

 the tabulum of a few of the paxillœ, but these organs are of rare occur- 

 rence. The plates on the outer part of the ray and those adjacent to the 

 margin throughout are devoid of stellate prolongations, and appear to have 

 more or less of an imbricating character. 



" The supero-marginal plates, which are seventeen or eighteen in num- 

 ber, counting from the median interradial line to the extremity, form a 

 well-defined border to the abactinal area, which diminishes in breadth to- 

 wards the extremity of the rays. The x^lates near the interradial line liave 

 their breadth rather greater than their length, and the length distinctly 

 increases in a few of the succeeding plates, and then diminishes on the 

 outer half of the ray. The surface of the plate, which is slightly convex in the 

 transverse direction, is covered with rather large, well-spaced, hemispherical 

 gi-anules, those which bound the margin being rather smaller than the others, 

 and regularly disposed in lineal series. The odd terminal plate is very small. 



"The infero-marginal plates correspond to the superior series in the 

 neighbom-hood of the median inteiTadial line, but alternate with them along 

 the rest of the ray. The}' are covered with precisely similar granules. I 

 have detected no pedicellarise on either series of marginal plates. 



"The adambulacral plates are slightly broader than long, and their 

 armature consists of three regular series of spinelets. In the furrow series 

 are seven moderately- elongate, prismatic spinelets, compressed transversely, 

 with obtusely roimded tips, subequal in length excepting one or two at the 

 adorai end of the series which are rather shorter; these spinelets radiate 

 very shghtly apart, but to such a small degi'ee that their disposition is 



