STAEFISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE SEAS. 459 



The apexes of these projections (there being usually three spine- tips 

 to each) are connected by strong muscle bands so as to outline more 

 or less regular hexagonal spiracular areas, in the center of which a 

 single spine (the central one of a paxilla) projects, and this is con- 

 nected by radiating muscle bands, somewhat weaker than the others, 

 with the 6 peripheral projections outlining the area. Six, more or less 

 evident, triangular subareas are thus formed. Each hexagonal area 

 contains 50 to 60 small spiracles. The spiracular areas and bristling 

 spines extend to and occupy large actinal interradial areas, as the 

 actinolateral fringe is narrow. Osculum of conspicuous size sur- 

 rounded by a fringe or web forming a truncated cone 3.5 mm. high 

 and about 7 in diameter at base ; aperture slightly stellate. Pseudo- 

 paxillae with tall pedicels (4 mm.* on radial areas) and with usually 

 7 (sometimes 1 or 2 more) slender, webbed spinelets, subequal to or a 

 little shorter than the pedicels, which have 4 short lobes at the base. 

 No calcareous bodies in supradorsal membrane. 



Adambulacral spines 5 (6 on first few plates), the innermost very 

 short and the succeeding spines increasingly longer, all united by a 

 web, which extends to tip of spines but is rather deeply emarginate 

 between. Aperture about a third as long as outermost spine. The 

 latter is connected by a web to the actinolateral membrane, which is 

 narrow as in ohesus and of nearly uniform width except near the 

 extremity of ray, its spines being subequal in length and one-third 

 to one-half again as long as the outermost adambulacral spine. 

 Tube feet in 2 series; furrow rather narrow, about two-thirds width 

 of actinolateral membrane. 



Mouth plates with the innermost of the 7 or 8 free oral spines flat- 

 tened and truncate, and one-fourth to one-fifth as broad as long. 

 The next is three-fourths as long, much slenderer, slightly tapered, 

 and flattened. The next 3 or 4 are about three-fifths as long as the 

 second and quite slender. Two similar spinelets are placed above 

 the outer 2 marginal spinelets, really on the edge of the actinal face 

 of the plate, making a group of 4 at the mouth of the furrow. Sub- 

 oral spine sharp, much more robust than inner oral spine and 

 one-fifth longer. The distal half is hyaline, tapering, three-edged. 



Young. — A specimen from station 5483 has been referred, not with- 

 out some hesitation, to this species. Its dimensions are: K=13 mm., 

 r=9.5 mm. The rays are more apparent than in larger examples, 

 and on either side of the tip of each is a conspicuous brown spot. 

 The supradorsal membrane is tough and the muscle bands of the 

 adult are well developed, though the projections are much more 

 irregularly distributed than in the type and the hexagonal areas are 

 not apparent. The spiracles are less numerous but are conspicuous, 

 the rim of each being brown. The mouth plates have 6 or 7 oral 

 spines, the innermost being relatively a little slenderer than in the 



