82 BULLETIN 100, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Specimens examined. — Ten from the following Philippine locali- 

 ties: 



Station 5219, between Marinduque and Luzon, 530 fathoms, green 

 mud; 2 specimens. 



Station 5491, Surigao Sea, between Leyte and Mindanao, 736 

 fathoms, green mud, coral; 1 specimen. 



Station 5492, Surigao Sea, between Leyte and Mindanao, 735 

 fathoms, gray mud; 3 specimens. 



Station 5494, Surigao Sea, between Leyte and Mindanao, 678 

 fathoms, green mud, sand ; 4 specimens. 



Remarks. — Astropecten eremicus resembles in general appearance 

 A. luzonicus and A. tenellus, from which it differs in the entire ab- 

 sence of superomarginal spines, in regularly having 4 or 5 fur- 

 row spines, as well as in several special features detailed under 

 each of the above species. The absence of superomarginal spines and 

 the presence of abactinal, actinal intermediate, and subambulacral 

 pediceilariae will suffice to distinguish ereTnicus from A. griegi 

 Koehler, also a deep-water species with slender rays. There is a 

 great resemblance between eremicus and A. puslllulus Fisher from 

 the Hawaiian group. Both have slender rays, and the same type of 

 slender spinelets with a brownish pulpy investment. Pusillulus has 

 but 3 furrow spines, the median stouter and wider than in eremi- 

 cus, being much flattened; paxillae with lower pedicel and shorter 

 spinelets; no actinal inferomarginal spine in addition to the two lat- 

 eral spines (except sometimes on the first 2 or 3 plates) ; shorter 

 rays and relatively larger disk. Pusillulus lacks abactinal pedi- 

 ceilariae, but has adambulacral and actinal intermediate ones 

 similar to those of eremicus. I think the two species are closely re- 

 lated. (See Fisher 1906, p. 1008, pi. 1, fig. 3, pi. 2, fig. 4. 4a-&.) 



ASTROPECTEN LUZONICUS Fisher. 



Plate 12, fig. 2 ; plate 13, fig. 3 ; plate 14, figs. 4, 4a-b. 

 Astropecten luzonicus Fisher, 1913a, p. 606. — Doderlein, 1917, pp. 50, 175. 



Diagnosis. — Similar to A. eremicus, but with longer, narrower- 

 rays; a small tubercular spine on the first few superomarginal 

 plates ; only 3 furrow spines beyond the first 5 or 6 plates ; armature 

 of each mouth plate in 2 regular longitudinal series. Disk very 

 small, rays long, slender, and very flexible; paxillar area narrow; 

 paxillae small, delicate; lateral spines 2 or 3; furrow spines 3; 

 subambulacrals 2 to 4, none enlarged. 



Type, E=68 mm., r=9 mm., R=7.55 r ; breadth of ray at base, 9 to 

 10 mm. 



Description. — Paxillae small and spaced, very similar to those of 

 Astropecten eremicus, having a slender pedicel, capped by 5 to 



