STAKFISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE SEAS. 75 



first actinal series moves back a little, broadens, and stands in line 

 with the 2 spatiilate spines, making a series of 3; or, as mentioned 

 above, it may stand out of line. It then forms a curved series with 

 the 2 spatulate spines. 



The first 2 inferomarginals may have several squamules en- 

 larged, and forming a transverse series of 2 or 3 accessory flat leaflike 

 spinules in line with the accessory marginal spinule. 



ASTROPECTEN EUCNEMIS, new species. 



Plate 10, fig. 1 ; plate 14, figs. 3, Sa-d. 



Diagnosis. — Rays 5. R=63 mm., r=9 mm., R=7 r (R : r, variable; 

 see variations) ; breadth of ray at base (second superomarginal) 9.5 

 mm. A species with long, slender rays, usually unarmed superomar- 

 ginals and large paxillae, resembling A. granulatus^ from which, 

 however, it differs in having longer, narrower rays, more delicate 

 paxillar spinelets, a different inferomarginal armature, more numer- 

 ous and longer subambulacral spines, and narrower mouth plates, 

 with more numerous and more delicate oral spines. 



Description. — Rays long and narrow, very gradually tapering; 

 disk small, with a slight prominence in center; interbrachial angles 

 abrupt; sides of ray rather high in proportion to width, especially 

 at base. Paxillar area plane, except in center of disk ; paxillae large 

 and crowded, arranged in not very regular transverse bands on ray, 



4 of the series corresponding to the second and third superomar- 

 ginals. Pedicels cylindrical and slender, the crown very flaring and 

 floriform, consisting, on the larger paxillae of disk, of a peripheral 

 series of 10 to 16 terete, rather slender, round-tipped spinelets, en- 

 circling a central divaricate group of 5 to 12 similar but slightly 

 shorter ones. On the outer third of ray the paxillae have about 



5 to 8 peripheral and usually only one central spinelet. 

 Superomarginals (48 in number) without special spines, except 



sometimes a small tubercle on the first plate. They are wider than 

 long, and form a rounded dorsal margin to ray. On the proximal 

 half of ray the plates form more than half of the perpendicular 

 lateral face of ray and decrease gradually in height, at the same 

 time encroaching more and more upon the paxillar area, as the 

 tip of ray is approached. There is some variation in the propor- 

 tions of the superomarginal plates, but they are usually higher in 

 the larger specimens. The fascioles are rather wide and abrupt 

 between the plates ard have a slightly oblique trend instead of being 

 exactly transverse. Exposed surface of plates covered with close- 

 set, broadly lanceolate appressed granuliform spinelets with rounded 

 or bluntly pointo^ tips directed upward or distally. 



