A MONOGRAPH OF THE EXISTING CRINOIDS 157 



Upsaliensis, ser. 4, vol. 5, No. 6, 1922, p. 56 (discussion); Zool. Bidrag fr&n Uppsala, vol. 9, 

 1924, p. 15 (multibrachiate condition of the very young); pp. 35, 36, 38 (brachial homologies); 

 p. 42 (brachials); p. 74 (syzygies); p. 89 (articulations); p. 97 (pinnule articulations). 



Diagnosis. — A genus of Capillasterinae in which the arms are more than 10 in 

 number, the IIBr series are 4 (3 + 4) and the IIIBr series are 3 (2 + 3) , both being sub- 

 ject to occasional variationandirregularity, the first pinnule of the undivided arms aris- 

 ing fromallBrorlater axillary ison the firstbrachial, there is a syzygy between brachials 

 2 + 3, except on arms arising from a IBr axillary where the first syzygy is between 

 brachials 3+4, and the brachials beyond the basal are oblong or wedge-shaped, 

 much broader than long. 



Geographical range. — From Madagascar, Mauritius, the Maldive Islands, and 

 Ceylon to Shark Bay, Western Australia and Cape Flattery (lat. 15° S.), Queens- 

 land, the Carohne Islands, southwestern Japan, the Phihppines, and Formosa 

 (Taiwan). 



Bathymetrical range. — From the shore line down to 292 meters. 



Remarks. — The species of this genus show among themselves considerably more 

 diversity than do the species of Comatella. In one imacrobrachius) the centrodorsal 

 is reduced to a pentagonal or stellate plate which lies within the radial pentagon and 

 is wholly without cirri. This in the only instance of this condition in the subfamily 

 Capillasterinae, although it is common in the Comactiniinae and Comasterinae. 

 In another species (asterias) the cirri are very few in number, long, and taper to a 

 fine point; the distal segments are only slightly, if at all, shorter than the longest 

 proximal, and are almost or quite without dorsal processes. This form of cirrus is 

 otherwise unknown in the entire family Comasteridae. It is very rare in the Oligo- 

 phreata, where it occurs only in Eudiocrinus junceus (Eudiociinidae) and in Cras- 

 pedometra acuticirra and Hornalometra denticulata (Himerometridae). But it is 

 common in the families Antedonidae, Atelecrinidae, and Pentametrocrinidae in the 

 Macrophreata. In 2 other species {gracilicirra and tenuicirra) the cirrus segments 

 are much elongated, though the relation between the basal, proximal, and distal 

 segments remains unchanged. The number of cirrus segments varies from 15 to 40, 

 but is rarely over 30. 



The arms vary in number from 11 or 12 to 85, but in most cases are about 20. 

 In fully grown individuals of the various species the arm number is rather constant 

 within fairly narrow limits. In contrast to Comatella, irregularities in the division 

 series are common; indeed, in certain individuals of multiradiata and of mariae most 

 of the division series are abnormal. A few specimens of multiradiata have been 

 described which combine in a most curious way the characters of Capillaster and of 

 Comatella. 



Terminal combs are found on a variable number of the proximal pinnules, but 

 rarely beyond P4. But in one specimen of multiradiata pinnules occurred at intervals 

 as far as Pu. 



The disk usually bears a greater or lesser number of conspicuous granules in the 

 anal area, and especially on and about the anal tube; but it may be naked. The 

 mouth is usually marginal or submarginal, and the anal tube central or subcentral. 

 But in the smaller species the mouth is often subcentral or even quite central and the 

 anal tube more or less marginal. 



