STAEFISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE SEAS. 265 



Inferomarginal plates broad, wider than high, with an abrupt 

 nearly right angle between the 2 facets of the plate; plates increas- 

 ing in width up to the fifth, which at its distal end meets its fellow 

 of the other side of ray in the median line; thence the plates de- 

 crease in width. The abactinal surface of ray is nearlj^^ plane but in 

 interbrachium the plates form a slight bevel. Width of dorsal 

 surface equals length of the seventh or eighth to fifteenth, varying 

 on different rays. Covering of plates consists of depressed, sub- 

 circular, convex granules, slightly spaced, and similar in size to ad- 

 jacent abactinal granules, but decreasing very gradually in size 

 toward end of ray. 



Inferomarginals extending laterally beyond superomarginals ex- 

 cept on attenuate terminal portion of ray, the sutural line between 

 the 2 series being at the bottom of a shallow sulcus of which the lat- 

 eral faces of the 2 series form the sides. Ventral face of plates broad 

 in interbrachia — about 3 times height — but they rapidly become nar- 

 rower, and at middle of ray the ventral facet changes from square 

 to slightly longer than wide, 10 inferomarginals equaling 18 adam- 

 bulacral plates; the plates are not conspicuously long as in some 

 species. Granules small, depressed, hemispherical, except 2 or 3 

 peripheral series which are acorn-shaped with a mucronate tip. In 

 interbrachium in the angle between the 2 facets the granules are 

 much enlarged, sub tubercular, acorn-shaped, with a sharp tip. 



Actinal intermediate plates extend to fifth inferomarginal and are 

 arranged in series parallel to furrow ; each series with an odd inter- 

 radial plate, and there are 5 of these plates between mouth plates 

 and margin. Granules low, acorn-shaped, slightly spaced, nearly 

 uniform in size. No pedicellariae. 



First 2 or 3 adambulacral plates with 5 or 6 furrow spines, blunt, 

 nearly equal, slightly compressed, then the plates gradually attain 

 first a convex then a strongly angular margin, and the furrow^ 

 spines increase to 9 (less often 10), the 3 to 5 median, nearest apex 

 of angle being more slightly built, compressed, with edge to furrow, 

 the 2 to 3 at either end of series being stouter, sublanceolate, blunt, 

 with flat side to furrow. Subambulacral granules 8 to 16, in 2 or 3 

 series on outer part of ray, but not so regularly arranged, as a rule, 

 proximally. The outer granules are subconical or acorn-shaped, but 

 a series of 2, 3 or even more back of the furrow spines are longer, 

 slightly flattened, and rather tubercular in form. It seems to be 

 from these spines that the extra furrow spines are recruited, the 

 original furrow spines remaining at the center of series. A very few 

 pedicellariae with 2 curved spiniform jaws are pi-csent at the base 

 of the series and are not of regular occurrence. 



