ASTEROIDEA OF NORTH PACIFIC AND ADJACENT WATERS — FISHER 123 



San Francisquito Bay specimen does not have a shallow groove near the end of the 

 outer spine but the groove is present in the Gulf of California examples (except very 

 small ones). The suboral spines are slender, tapered, terete, pointed. 



During the summer of 1919, Mr. G. F. Ferris collected at La Paz, the type- 

 locality, one specimen which he found at low tide under loose coral. This specimen, 

 which has R 46 mm., r 6.5 mm., breadth of ray at widest part, 8.5 mm., differs less 

 from the La Jolla examples than does the San Francisquito Bay example noted 

 above. The spines are normally stout — more robust, in fact, than in some of the 

 southern California examples of the same stature. On the proximal half or two-thirds 

 of the ray most of the carinal plates bear spines, and on the distal portion the alterna- 

 tion of spineless and spiny plates is by no means invariable. The dorsolateral spines 

 do not form a very regular series, and on each of the dorsolateral areas there are from 

 four to eight spines out of line (but not always in the same position), constituting an 

 incipient accessory series, as in certain of the Californian examples. 



In this specimen the adambulacral spines are unequal, the inner being conspicu- 

 ously slenderer and shorter than the outer, beyond the proximal fifth of the furrow- 

 length. The outer are flattened, very slightly tapered, chisel-shape. The inner de- 

 crease in length relatively faster than the outer spines, so that the disparity in length 

 increases as they proceed along the ray. At about the middle of the ray the plates 

 cease to have two spines regularly; beyond that point the inner spine, which is here 

 one-half to two-thirds the length of the outer, may be absent from one or from several 

 consecutive plates (as many as 15), but in no regular manner. The majority of 

 plates of the distal half of ray have but one spine. 



There are usually four to seven actinal spines, but one ray has only one on one 

 side and none on the other. There are two contiguous pairs of adambulacral 

 plates external to the mouth plates. Small lanceolate-ovate pointed straight pedi- 

 cellariae, scarcely longer than the crossed pedicellariae are scattered on disk and base 

 of rays, but I find only two of the larger denticulate sort — one in an interradial sulcus, 

 the other above it near the primary radial plate. These are about 1 mm. long, wedge- 

 shape as viewed from the side, and narrowly spatulate viewed frontwise. They are 

 much smaller than those commonly found in Californian examples. These smaller 

 pedicellariae are about the only tangible difference I can find as compared to Cali- 

 fornian specimens. The San Francisquito Bay example has major pedicellariae about 

 intermediate in size. 



The La Paz specimen was kept for several months in formalin in a sealed tin. 

 When taken out it showed what were probably nearly its life colors. General tint of 

 dorsal surface and sides pale pinkish brown, broadly cross-banded with brown maddor; 

 abactinal and lateral spines flesh color, the distal half nearly vermilion; wreaths of 

 pedicellariae raw or sometimes burnt sienna, the minor pedicellariae pale grayish; 

 actinal surface, raw sienna, the spines salmon pink; furrow spines pale straw color; 

 tube-feet a milky sepia. 



Anatomical notes.— (See pi. 56, figs. 1, la-le, 3, Za.) Plates of the ray are in 

 13 longitudinal series, namely, the carinals, and on either side one series of dorso- 

 laterals, often irregular; two series of marginals, one incomplete series of actinals, and 

 the usual ambulacral systems. The carinals have four short rounded lobes, are longer 

 than broad, overlap strongly, and the series is sometimes rather irregular. Com- 



