STARFISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE SEAS. 423 



the spinelets in what he believes to be the natural posture and that 

 thft condition was found on only a few plates. In our specimens 

 onlj- the 2 innermost fans are clearly distinguishable, the spinelets 

 on the outer part of the plate being less regular in arrangement, and 

 similar in arrangement to those of N. brevis, although more numer- 

 ous, as well as slenderer and more sharply pointed. 



In 2 small specimens (R=14 mm.) which have the proportions of 

 N. hrevis but which are believed to be young of maoulata, the arma- 

 ture is more as in Sladen's figure 4, although not quite so regular; 

 and of the 2 specimens 1 has the armature more regular than the 

 other. A peculiaritj'^ of these 2 specimens is the grouping of the 

 spinelets of the abactinal crescentic plates in 3 or sometimes 2 distinct 

 tufts to each plate. This gives the appearance of numerous small 

 plates. 



These small specimens are distinct from N. hrevis and N. suffar- 

 cinafa, and of course may represent a third species. Their affinities 

 are close to N. maculata. 



The largest specimen has 2 madreporic bodies. The others have 

 one. 



All the specimens are bleached yellowish, and unspotted. 



Type-locality. — Migupou (Gray) . 



DistHhution. — Philippine Islands; Arafura Sea. 



Specimens examined. — Four. 



Station 5157, off Tinakta Island, Tawi Tawi Group, Sulu Archi- 

 pelago, 18 fathoms, fine sand ; 1 specimen. 



Station 5161, same locality, 16 fathoms, fine sand ; 1 specimen. 



Station 5335, Linapacan Strait, vicinity Linapacan Island, north 

 end of Palawan, 46 fathoms, sand, mud : 2 small specimens, 



NEPANTHU JOUBINI Koehler. 



Plate 113, figs. 1, 2. 



Nepanthia joubini Koehlee, Description d'une Ast^rie nouvelle (Nepanthia 

 Joubini), provenant du cap Saint- Jacques (Cochin-chine). Bull, du 

 mus. d' hist, naturelle, July 1908, No. 5, p. 232. 



Notes on Philippine specimens. — The Leyte specimen is larger than 

 Koehler's: E=32 mm., r=7 mm. There are 6 rays, 2 large ones 

 opposite each other with a pair of small ones between on either side. 

 There is only 1 madreporic body. The adambulacral armature 

 greatly resembles Sladen's figure (1889, pi. 63, fig. 5) of that of N. 

 hrevis. In the furrow series are 7 webbed spines, the median the 

 longest; the first subambulacral contains about 7 spines forming a 

 very convex fan, parallel to the furrow series, while 3 to 5 spinelets 

 stand just back of the subambulacral series and are invested by the 

 same membrane. The plates of the median radial area are less regu- 



