A NKW A I'ST KALIAN CKJNOID. 



By Austin II. Clark, 



Assistant Curator, Division of Marine Invertebrates, U. S. National Museum. 



In the summer of 1887 88 Mr. J. Bracebridge Wilson dredged a 

 number of comatulids in the outer part of the harbor of Port Philip, 

 near Melbourne, Victoria, and outside the Heads, which, on behalf 

 of the Port Philip Biological Survey Committee, were forwarded to 

 the late Dr. P. II. Carpenter for identification. Among them were 

 five specimens which were referred to by Carpenter as "A. sp. nor. 

 (proh.)," and he says further on that this form "I believe to be a 

 new species; but it may turn out to be only a strongly marked variety 

 of A. pumila." Doctor Carpenter intended to draw up a diagnosis 

 of this crinoid, but he was never able to do it, and no further refer- 

 ence to it appears in the literature. 



Thanks to the kindness and generosity of the trustees of the 

 Australian museum at Sydney, New South Wales, and to the curator, 

 Mr. Robert Etheridge, jr., I have recently been enabled to examine 

 the entire magnificent collection of Australian crinoids belonging 

 to that institution. Among the specimens are nearly eight hundred 

 examples of Compsometra loveni from various localities and, with 

 them, several of a species which, though allied to it, is quite distinct 

 and shows no evidences of intergradation. This form I take to be 

 the "Antedon sp. nor." referred to by Doctor Carpenter. It may be 

 described as follows: 



COMPSOMETRA LACERTOSA, new species. 



Antedon sp. nov., P. II. Carpenter, Proc. Roy. Soc, Victoria, vol. I. newser., 

 L889, p. 135 (Port Philip). 



Centrodorsal thin, discoidal. with ;i broad ll.it polar area; cirrus 

 sockets in two closely crowded marginal rows. 



Cirri XXXIV XXXVI, 9 L2 (usually 10), 7 mm. long, in general 

 resembling those of Antedon petasus. 



Etadials even with the edge of the centrodorsal; [Br, very short, 

 slightly trapezoidal, about four times as broad as long; IBr., almost 

 triangular, with the apex produced, about as long as broad. The 



Proceedings U. S. National Museum, Vol. 38— No. 1 743. 



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