STAEFISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE SEAS. 



175 



species, although greatly resembling one another, appear to be en- 

 tirely distinct. Their characters are contrasted below: 



avicularia. 



Color, iu alcohol, yellowish — a faded 

 \ellow-ochre. 



Superoinarginal spines inconspicu- 

 ous, the series iuteri'upted and the 

 spines short, very unequal, usually 

 less than half the length of the adja- 

 cent inferomarginal spine, and less 

 than 1.5 the breadth of the paxillar 

 <?rown in length. 



A second longitudinal series of ab- 

 actinal spines not present except near 

 tip of ray, with a few scattered spines 

 proxinially, which are much less con- 

 spicuous than in irwroitoana. 



Paxillae of rays more open, the cen- 

 tral spinelets distinctly spiniform. and 

 all spinelets longer. 



Largest paxilla from i-adial region 

 at very base of ray with 10 to 15 

 slender spinelets, only slightly stouter 

 than the peripheral, the latter equal 

 in length to about one-half the width 

 of tabuliini. 



Furrow pedicellariae usually curved 

 at the tip. the jaw nearer the bottom 

 of furrow being the longer, and often 

 curved over the end of the other, just 

 the reverse of the condition of moroiso- 

 ana. 



morotsoana. 



Coloi-, in alcohol, a sort of pinkish 

 brown or sepia, with a violet shade. 



A definite, conspicuous, uninterrupted 

 row of sharp, acicular, superomarginal 

 spines, each spine more than half the 

 length of the adjacent (longest) in- 

 feroniarginal spine, and length 1.5 to 

 2 times the breadth of the superomar- 

 ginal paxillar crown. 



A second conspicuous longitudinal 

 series of spines, miich interrupted, be- 

 tween which and the superomarginal 

 spines is a single series of unarmed 

 paxillae. 



Paxillae more compact, the central 

 spinelets distinctly </ranvlifon)i, and 

 all sjuiielets shorter. 



T^argest paxillae from radial region 

 at very base of ray, with 8 to 10 

 mostl.v 8, central, acorn-shaped gran- 

 ules, much stouter than the 20 or more 

 ))eripheral spinelets, which in length 

 are less than one-third the width of 

 the tabulum. 



Furrow pedicellariae usually with 

 straight jaws, that nearest the bot- 

 tom of furrow often slightly the 

 .shorter. (Goto. 1914, tig. 101.) 



LUIDIA CJY >N(,< H 



Plate 42. figs. 1, 2: plate 44, figs. 4, 5; plate 46. figs. 1, la-d. 

 Lit id id f/iiinnocliord Fishek. 19] 3c, )). 204. 



Diagnosis. — Related to Luidia detwiditfd Koehler. but differing in 

 liaving constantly 11 rays; prominent, central, two-jawed paxillar 

 ]>odicellariae. together with several small two-jawed pedicellariae on 

 the sides of the pedicels, superomarginal and dorsolateral spino- 

 paxillae distally; witli the transverse processes of the regular 

 ])axillae longer than the longitudinal (the reverse in deniulata) ; 

 fro(|uent]y 3 or 4 inferomarginal sj)ines: 1 to 5 infei'omarginal pedi- 

 cellariae: inferomarginais broader actinally. the iiiter\euiug naked 

 places much wider than long, and elliptical to oblong in form; 1 or 

 "2 pedicellariae on the actinai iulerniediate ])lates: no slender fur- 



