432 BULLETIN 100, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Color in alcohol, bleached reddish brown. 



Type.— C2it. 37001, U.S.N.M. 



Type-locality. — Station 5483, Surigao Strait, off Cabugan Grande 

 Island, 74 fathoms, sand, broken shells; 2 specimens. 



Distribution. — Philippine Islands, 74 to 76 fathoms, on sand. 



Specimens examined. — Three ; 2 from type-locality and 1 from sta- 

 tion 5140, off Jolo, Sulu Archipelago, 76 fathoms, fine coral sand. 



Remarks. — This species bears a certain resemblance to E. callosus., 

 but the disk is much larger, the ray shorter, and broadest at base, 

 not slightly constricted as in callosus; the spines are much less 

 prominent; the skin is thinner, especially around the spines; papulae 

 fewer; skeleton more regular; there are usually 3 adambulacral 

 spines in a vertical series (2 in callosus), and the deposits of the 

 skin are very numerous, fairly evenly distributed, and in the form 

 of perforated plates, rather than branched rods or rather open 

 plates in streaks or areas. The plates are so numerous in the speci- 

 men from station 5140 that they form several layers in places and 

 nearly always overlap. In E. callosus, which I examined, the de- 

 posits might be described as being scattered. 



Echinaster acanthodes H. L. Clark (1916, p. 61) from Queens- 

 land is nearly related to the present species and greatly resembles 

 it. E. acanthodes has, on every other adambulacral plate, except on 

 the 12-16 plates nearest the mouth a conspicuous subambulacral 

 spine, in addition to the three spines in the furrow. Deposits in the 

 skin are not described. 



Genus OTHILIA Gray. 



Otliilia Gray, 1840, p. 281. — 'Type, Astoria s spivosa Retzius, 1805 (not 

 Peuuant, m7)=Asterias ecJiinophora Lamarck, first species (by desig- 

 nation, Fisher, 1913&).— Fisher, 191M, p. 260; 1913b, p. 195. 



EcJiinaster MtJLLEK and Troschel (part), 1840a, p. 102; 1840b, p. 321; 

 1842. p. 22.— Authors generally.— Verrill, 19140. p. 206; 1915. p. 35. 



Considerations which have led to the retention of Othilia as the 

 name of this restricted group, instead of EcJiinaster Miiller and 

 Troschel, have been discussed under the preceding genus. 



OTHILIA PURPUREA Gray. 



Plate 122, fig. 1; plate 132, figs. 7, 7a-b. 



Othilia purpurea Gray, 1840, p. 282. 

 Notes on Philippine specimens. — The specimens vary as to length 

 of ray. One with long, slender rays has E=86 mm., r=12 mm., 

 R=7 r; ray 7 times as long as its breadth at base, measured along- 

 side from interbrachial angle. Another specimen w'ith stouter, 

 broader rays has R=81 mm., r=15 mm., R=5.4 r; longest ray 5 times 

 its breadth at base. The rays are generally unequal in length. 



