STARFISHES OF THE PHILn>PINE SEAS. 53 



plate, increasing in size toward the inner end of plate, where one 

 forms with its companion a pair of sharp conical teeth, which, how- 

 ever, do not belong- to the true marginal series. The surface of each 

 plate has 15 or 16 spines. 



Madreporic body one and a third its own diameter from marginal 

 plates. In diameter it equals the cross diameter of the combined 

 mouth plates, or not quite the length of the first two superomarginals. 

 It is crossed b}^ striae radiating from an interradial point on the 

 adcentral margin. 



Anatomical notes. — As the internal organs of this genus have not 

 been described, a few notes on their salient characters will be given. 

 The stomach is large and simple, filling nearly the whole disk, and 

 consists of a single spacious cavity without dorsal and ventral divi- 

 sions. The general contour is roundish, but is subdivided into 5 broad 

 shallow radial lobes, from each of which proceed directly 2 short 

 olive-green hepatic coeca, scarcely equaling in length the minor 

 radius. The 10 hepatic coeca are about equidistantly spaced on the 

 periphery of stomach. On each side of the ambulacral ridge 2 strong 

 muscular and tendinous bands, one arising from the first and second, 

 and the other from the third ambulacral ossicle pass upward and 

 spread out on the stomach, on each side of the base of a hepatic 

 coecum. On the middle of the dorsal surface of stomach and con- 

 nected with it by a small aperture is a small three-lobed intestinal 

 coecum, from the dorsal side of which a very short intestine leads 

 upward and opens by an almost microscopic pore. If this aperture 

 is functional it must be simply an exit for products of the intestinal 

 coecum. 



Interbrachial septa wholly membranous. Gonads opening near 

 marginal plates about 5 mm. on either side of septum. There are 

 altogether 10 bunches, and they do not extend along ray. Polian 

 vesicle in each interradius except that of madreporic canal, where 

 there are 2. Ampullae single ; tube feet pointed. First ambulacral 

 jjlate enlarged and considerabl}^ thicker than those following, and 

 the lower end is Y-shaped instead of spatulate. The proximal limb 

 of the Y is much shorter than the other, and between the two is the 

 first ampulla. The odontophore has two lobes toward the mouth and 

 a single very much broader lobe between the lower ends of two 

 neighboring ambulacral ossicles. The whole surface is entirely free. 

 Superambulacral ossicles present but small at the proximal end of 

 the series. 



Type.— C^t. No. 30507, U.S.N.M. 



Type-localitij. — Station 5123, east coast of Mindoro, 220 to 283 

 fathoms, green mud. 



Distrihutfon. — Sulu Sea and Mindanao Sea, Philippine Islands, 

 219 to 283 fathoms. 



13434— Bull. 100—19 5 



