320 BULLETIN 76, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Madrcporic body small, situated at about the middle of r. 



Type.— Cut. No. 277S6, U.S.N.M. 



Type-locality. — Albatross station 2980, oil" Anacapa Island, California, 603 

 fathoms, f^recn mud, two specimens. Known only from this locality. 



Remarks. — Although this species was dredged along with 8. horealis and Tleterozo- 

 nias altemaius it is clearly not referable to either. It is probable that the number of 

 rays varies from the small number of seven in the types. It is at once distinguished 

 from 11. altemaius in lacking the characteristic superomargmals of that species, and 

 it differs from horealis in having larger paxillse with more numerous longer spinelets 

 (the paxillffi being consequenth* higher), more numerous and delicate inferomarginal 

 spines, more prominent, altematmg superomargiuals, and two long furrow spine- 

 lets (not five or six short ones) . It may be separated from paxillatus by the much 

 smaller actinal interradial areas, differently formed, and more widely separated 

 marginals which have longer spinelets, by the few suboral spinules and typically 

 smaller paxillie with fewer and longer spinelets. It is not possible to determine 

 whether intergrades exist between exiguus and paxillatus. 



SOLASTER BOREALIS (Fisher). 



PI. 91, figs. 1-3; pi. 92, figs. 1, 2; pi. 113, figs. 2, 2a. 



Crossasler horealis Fisher, Proc. Wash. Acad. Sci., vol. 8, Aug. 14, 1906, p. 134. 



Diagnosis. — Rays nine to twelve, very rarely thirteen. 11 = 140 mm.; r=47 

 mm.; R = 3 r. Breadth of ray at base, 23 mm. Closely resembling Solaster 

 australis (Perrier). Marginal plates in a single series, very prominent, spaced, 

 paxilliform, with prominent bristlmg spines, and situated on the margin of ray, 

 becoming actinal in position onlj' m interbrachial angle and then at the ambitus. 

 Abactinal pseudopaxilla3 very small and spaced with very few spmelets. Papulae 

 large, when fully extended larger than paxill^ which they often obscure in big 

 specimens, one to three to a mesh on ray, three to ten on disk. Madreporic body 

 exposed. A bare mterradial streak extending from the interbracliial angle half way 

 to center of disk. Adambulacral plates with five or six furrow spmelets (varying 

 to three or four distallj- and as many as eight proximally), and two, three, four, or 

 five very much longer and stouter actiaal spines, in a transverse series. Mouth 

 plates Vidth about eleven furrow spinelets and only one or two small suboral 

 spinelets, sometimes none; ioner oral spmes much lengthened. Actmal mterradial 

 areas small, the spaced paxillse with few spinelets; a single row of actinal inter- 

 mediate plates extendmg far along ray. 



Description.— Ah&ct'msil integument entirely obscurmg underlying skeleton, 

 unless dried or treated with caustic potash. Paxilla? smaU, spaced, with a low 

 tabulum surmounted by one to six slender blunt or pointed, tapermg spinelets. In 

 life these spinelets are thick, short, and stubby, owing to a membranous investment, 

 and are usually three or four to each paxilla. In center of disk and along distal 

 half of ray, paxillse irregularlj^ arranged, but between these two areas an arrange- 

 ment in longitudinal rows more or less evident. Base of paxillse with three or four 

 slender unequal lobes impmging upon those of neighboring paxilUr or connected by 

 short irregular ossicles; latter not numerous; near center of disk there are one or 



