STARFISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE SEAS. 321 



about 7 mm. in length, and the surface slightly uneven or rugose, 

 but without thorns or asperities. The radial series extends nearly 

 one-half R, but the spines do not occur on all the plates, 1 to 3 un- 

 armed plates being between the armed plates after the first 2 to 4 

 spines which are on connective plates. There is a good deal of ir- 

 regularity in arrangement. A few scattered plates, especially on the 

 radial s-eries, bear a small pedicellaria a little larger than a granule, 

 with 2 oblong, round-tipped slightly swollen jaws, a little higher 

 than wide. The plates with their granules are slightly spaced and 

 are of a chocolate brown, sharply in relief against the dark reddish 

 brown integument beneath. The plates are arranged in very regular 

 series parallel to the median radial, which reaches as far as the en- 

 larged distal superomarginals. The 3 prior superomarginals are sep- 

 arated by the median radial plates only. 



The abactinal plates, from the inner side, are strongly lobed or 

 stellate, the median radial or carinal plates being the largest, with 

 6 to 8 subacute lobes, the 2 or 3 on either side being longer than the 

 distal and proximal. The other plates are smaller, more or less 

 convex, and with 6 lobes. The plates touch by the ends of the lobes. 

 The papulae are distributed all over the disk and rays, and each plate 

 is surrounded by 6 to 10 papulae, the latter number occurring around 

 the proximal radial plates and the larger plates of disk. 



Superomarginal plates 15 or 16, massive and tumid, the proximals 

 confined to side wall of the ray, the others gradually encroaching 

 more and more upon the abactinal surface, until beyond the middle, 

 the dorsal surface is slightly wider than the lateral. Proximally 

 the extreme width of plate exceeds the length; then the 2 dimensions 

 become equal; then the length slightly exceeds. The last 2 or 3, 

 with the exception of the distalmost, are a trifle wider than long. 

 The distal plate is enlarged and is as long or longer than the 2 

 preceding plates combined. On one ray a much enlarged distal 

 has opposite it 3 ordinary superomarginals, and on another ray 2, 

 while 2 other raj^s have unequal enlarged distals. These enlarged 

 plates are very characteristic of this form. Near the upper end of 

 each superomarginal is a long, conical, rigid, usually sharp, out- 

 standing spine, about as long as the width of its plate, the series 

 extending to the end of ray. In a transverse line with this, on the 

 lateral wall of ray, is a shorter, horizontal, sharp spine, or 1 spine 

 and 1 or 2 smaller companions irregularly placed. Two plates have 

 4 spines on the lower part of the plate, while 2 others have 3 sub- 

 equal spines in a transverse series, including the uppermost. The 

 enlarged distal plate has 2 to 4 spines in a single longitudinal series. 

 All these spines are prominent, but they vary in length. In general 

 they become shorter distally. Many of the plates bear a small pedicel- 



