JAPANESE ASTEROIDEA. 373 



The inferior lateral plates are most beautifiü cushions of closely aggregated, 

 appressed papillary spines, each plate liaving a central row of 3-5 rather 

 larger and more conspicuous spines, which however, like all the rest, are 

 closely appressed to the sm-face. Indeed there are no spines projecting con- 

 spicuously beyond the rest from any part of the body. The spines of the 

 adambulacral plates are so numerous that, spreading from them in all direc- 

 tions, they nearly choke up the ambulacral channels. Greater diameter not 

 quite 4 inches. 



" A single specimen of Archaster Parelii was di'edged by Messrs. 

 Jeffreys and Waller, dm-ing the past summer, on the Outer Haaf, off 

 Shetland, in 100 fathoms. It is a very interesting addition to our list of 

 British Ecliinodermata. I have removed this species from the genus Astro- 

 pedcn, in which it had been placed by Düben and Koren, and placed it in 

 ArcJiaster on the authority of Professor Sars. I am unable myself to vouch 

 for the correctness of tliis transfer, as I have been unwilling to injure the 

 only British specimen in order to ascertain the presence of those organs 

 (the anal aperture and pedicellariœ) wliich separate the genus Archaster from 

 Astropecten." 



LÜTKEN [ 71, p. 236] refers to it under the name of Archaster parelii 

 in connection with Astrop. javanicus. Wyv. Thomson [ '72, p. 301] mentions 

 it from the north Atlantic, 300-800 fathoms, with the minimum temperature 



of 0*^ h 2°C. It is also mentioned by Veerill [ '74, p. 500]^^ under the name 



of Archaster parelii, the form in question being the one later described by 

 Sladen as a separate species under the name of Pseudarchaster inter médius. 

 3IÖBIUS and Butschli [ '75, p. 148] mention it from Bukenf jord and Böm- 

 melfjord, 106 fathoms, on mud or mud with gravel. They found it rare 

 and the distribution is given as " Küste Norwegens und Gross-Britaniens." 



Perrder mentions it in his " Revision " and adds [ '76, p. 268] : " un 

 seul exemplaire dans l'alcool, mais brisé. Donné par le musée de Bergen 

 (Noi-wége) à l'expédition du prince Napoléon en 1856." 



Danœlssen and Koren describe a variety of this species as follows 

 [ '77, p. 17 (separate)] : 



1 This 1 uper is not .iccessible to me. 



