STAEFISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE SEAS. 409 



3 or 4 branches touching the proximal 4 or 5 adambulacrals of each 

 ray. From the second inferomarginal there are usually 2 short col- 

 umns of 2 plates each, while the third and rudimentary fourth infero- 

 marginals touch the adambulacrals. Conspicuous spaces exist be- 

 tween the columns of plates, the plates themselves being compara- 

 tively large and elongate cordiform or elongate ovate in form. 



Adambulacral plates small, wider than long, and obliquely ori- 

 ented. The first 2 plates have 2 small, blunt, slightly tapering fur- 

 row spinelets; the subsequent plates 1. Near the furrow margin in 

 a longitudinal series are 2 webbed, narrow^-spatulate truncate spine- 

 lets about as long as width of plate, and 1.5 the length of the fur- 

 row spinelets which they generally obscure by bending over furrow. 



Mouth plates narrow with 4 furrow and 2 suboral spinelets similar 

 to those of the adambulacral plates except that the inner furrow 

 spine is larger. 



Type.— C^t. No. 32641 U.S.N.M. 



Type-locality. — State 5310, China Sea, vicinity of Hongkong (lat. 

 21° 31' X.; long. 116° 13' E.), 100 fathoms, sand, shells; 1 specimen. 



Distribution. — Known only from tj^pe-locality. 



Remarks. — This species resembes M. capreensis (Gasco) whicli 

 Ludwig considers the same as the subsequenty described J/, fmhria- 

 tm Sladen. In M. paueispinus there are few abactinal and no actinal 

 intermediate spinelets, w^hile in capreensis the former are abundant, 

 and Sladen 's figure (1889, pi. 58, fig. 5) shows a few actinal spinelets. 

 The carinal plates of M. paucispiniis have more prominent lobes than 

 are figured by Ludwig. and the inferomarginal plates are much 

 wider than long while the marginal spines are longer. In 31. capreen- 

 sis the 2 subambulacral spines are tapering, cylindrical and form a 

 transverse series, while in paucispinus they are spatulate, flattened, 

 and in a longitudinal series. In M. pectinatus Perrier, M. echinula- 

 tus Perrier, and 3/. pentagonus Perrier the subambulacrals are either 

 in a transverse or an oblique series. The first has 1 furrow and 1 or 2 

 subambulacral spines; the second, 3 to 5 furrow and 2 or 3 subam- 

 bulacral spines; the third, 1 furrow and 2 or 3 subambulacral in the 

 same transverse series. M. paiwispinvs alone, therefore has the sub- 

 ambulacral spines in a longitudinal series. 



Family ASTERINIDAE Gray, emended. 



Genus AvSTERlNA Nardo. 



A-<iteyinu Xardo, Oken's Isis, 1834, p. 716. Type, .4. minnta Xardo=.l. (jih- 

 bosa (Perrier). — Verrill, 1913, 477-485. 



Professor Verrill has divided the old genus Asterina into the fol- 

 lowing genera: 



Asterina; type. A. gibhosa; included species: A. trochiscus (Ret- 

 zius). 



