40 BULLETIN 76, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



oblique lines with the middle spine often more forward, and longest when three are 

 present, near the lower margin of the plate." (Sladen, 1889, p. 419.) In actinocles, 

 the surface of two lowest series is sufficient to carry but one major spine. In acti- 

 nocles, the prominent longer series of adradial spines of fulgens, is represented by- 

 only a few sporadic spines. 



I have been able to compare actinocles directly with examples of Z. diomedeae 

 Verrill from 1,300 to 1,500 fathoms off Marthas Vineyard. Z. diomedeae is a western 

 Atlantic representative of Z. fulgens, which it greatly resembles. As compared with 

 actinocles, diomedeae has broader rays which are noticeably swollen proximally; 

 stouter and more rigid superomarginal spines; the fourth actinolateral series of 

 plates extends over half the length of the ray; while at the base there is a rudimentary 

 fifth series of actinolateral plates; there are 17 adradial and 17 superomarginal plates 

 to 10 cardinals at the base of ray (15 in Sladen's figure of fulgens); the second adam- 

 bulacral spine of prominent plates lacks a large pedicellaria; the rays are much shorter 

 (R = about 12 r), and the terminal plate, much smaller and deeply emarginate on 

 proximal border; some of the proximal carinal plates have three and four spines. 



Both Zoroaster hirsutus and Z. magniUcus Luclwig, mentioned in comparison with 

 Z. ophiurus, are of a more delicate build, with much longer and still slenderer rays, 

 more delicate abactinal spines, fine capillary spinelets with scarcely any sheath, 

 carinal plates only slightly convex. Z. magniUcus has very large pedicellariae. 



ZOKOASTER EVERMANNI Fisher 



Plate 13, Figure 3; Plate 14, Figures 1, la, lb, Plate 18, Figure 4; Plate 19, Figure 1; Plate 20, 



Figures 3, 4. 



Zoroaster {Myxoderma) evermanni Fisher, Bull. Bureau Fisheries, 1904, vol. 24, June 10, 



1905, p. 317; not Clark, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. 32, art. 8, July 9, 1913, 



p. 19S (= Myxoderma sacculatum) . 

 Zoroaster evermanni Fisher, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 9, vol. 3, 1919, p. 390. — Clark 



Mem. Mus. Comp. Zo61., vol. 39, 1920, p. 100; Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. 48, 



art. 6, 1923, p. 152. 



Diagnosis. — Rays, five. R. 140 mm.; r 10 mm.; R = 14 r; breadth of ray at 

 base, 11 mm. Rays long, gradually tapering from a narrow base to a pointed extrem- 

 ity which is capped by a small terminal plate; dorsal surface sloping like a roof from 

 the carinate radial series of plates to the superomarginal series, which marks bound- 

 ary between the dorsolateral and the slightly bulging lateral face of ray; disk con- 

 vex, the abactinal surface considerably higher than carinal ridge of ray; inter- 

 brachial angles very acute, the rays being slightly constricted at base. Character- 

 ized by irregularly lobed, exposed, adradial plates, relatively large papular areas 

 dorsally, very prominent carinals and marginals, prominent, bristling, acicular spines 

 (one to a plate except adradials), numerous capillary spinelets invested in life by a 

 soft, thick, pulpy sheath, and long bristling adambulacral spines. 



Description. — The primary radial, basal and central plates of the disk are 

 stellate with five, six, or seven prominent rounded lobes, and bear a central, promi- 

 nent, rather stout sharp spine about 2.5 mm. long, articulated to a prominent boss 

 on the plate, and the general surface of these and the other smaller disk plates is 

 beset with distinctly spaced spinelets, 0.75 to 1.25 mm. long, some of which are pointed 



