STAEFISHES OF THE PHILIPPINE SEAS. 371 



an extensive, central, naked area; the smaller abactinal plates less 

 distinct and not at all convex; granules smallest on center of ob- 

 scured plates, largest over the sutures (reverse in o/freti) ; abactinal 

 area narrower, about equal to extreme width of first superomarginal 

 plate; inner series of small actinal intermediate plates lacking; 

 adambulacral spines 3 (2 in ofreti). Rays 5; E==35 mm., r=ll mm., 

 K=3.2 r. ; breath of ray at base, 13 mm. Rays and disk very rigid; 

 abactinal surface subplane, actinal surface convex. 



Description. — Abactinal plates of two kinds: Large, subcircular, 

 convex, numerously lobed and centrally bare plates, interspersed 

 with numerous small, flat, irregular plates covered with a fine close 

 granulation obscuring their outlines. The granules become smaller 

 toward the center of the obscured plates. The large plates, with 

 conspicuous bare areas, comprise five primar}- interradials, a group 

 of 3 or 1 at the base of the ray (including the primary radial) 

 and, extending along the ray, a series of groups, rather than 

 a series of plates. Each little group has 2 to 4 plates, the groups 

 being sometimes isolated, sometimes connected by large plates so 

 as to form an irregular carinal series. The distal 4 or 5 plates 

 are sometimes separated hj small plates. The last three superomar- 

 ghials meet medially. The width of the abactinal area at base of ray 

 is only about that of the first superomarginal plate. The naked areas 

 on the plates are subcircular to broadly elliptical, quite smooth, 

 and the granules decrease slightly in size toward the edge of this 

 bare area, which comprises most of the area of the plate. Papulae 

 single, and varying in number from 3 to 10 about each plate. 



Superomarginals 9, prominent, slightlj^ convex, encroaching widely 

 upon actinal surface, the first, eighth, and ninth wider than long, 

 the others longer than wide; all with nearly the whole surface 

 bare, and with the margin toward the abactinal plates strongly 

 arched and (when cleaned) notched by papular pores. The fine 

 granulation covering the margin of the plates is continuous and 

 similar to that of the abactinal surface. Terminal plate small, sub- 

 conical, Math a row of little tubercles along either side of the end of 

 the furrow. 



Inferomarginals much smaller than superomarginals, but corre- 

 sponding to them. The first is wider than long, the rest longer than 

 wide, except the last or last two. which are subcircular and convex. 

 The third, fourth, and fifth are the longest being 2 to 2^ times as 

 long as wide. Each plate has an elliptical central naked area. This 

 is very slightly concave on the first 5 plates, but there appears in 

 the middle of the fifth or sixth a slight pimplelike eminence which 

 increases in size toward the end of ray and on the last 3 or 4 plates 

 bears one to several low granules. On the plate where the eminence 



