269 



than the ventrals, and bhint. They are not very numerous, and are 

 scattered without order, though sometimes a median row may be 

 traced. Among them a few occur having only one-fourth the size of 

 the rest. They have, for the most part, a thin, indistinct wreath of 

 minor pedicellaria? about their bases. Scattered between the dorsal 

 spines at regular intervals may be seen the major pedicellariae, which 

 are small, about a hundredth of an inch in length, very short 

 branched, appressed, and, when closed, rounded or short triangular, 

 about as broad as long. The papulae do not form very regular groups. 

 The madreporic plate is placed rather nearer to the margin than to 

 the centre 'of the disc. 



Diameter, three and three-fourths inches. 



This starfish is found abundantly on the sandy shores of Carolina 

 and Georgia. 



ASTERIAS TEXERA (uOV. sp.) 



Rays five, very slender and convex above, about as high as broad, 

 not contracted at base ; disc small. Proportion of the diameters, 1 : 6. 

 Ossicles of the skin slender, and forming an open net-work. Ambu- 

 lacra! furrows deep, with the pores much less crowded than is usual in 

 the genus, so that they do not as distinctly form two rows. Ambulacral 

 spines small, very slender, rather pointed, and arranged, for the most 

 part, alternately one and two to each plate. At the middle of most 

 of these spines there is a thin semicircular cluster of minor pedicel- 

 lariae. (One specimen occurred with the ambulacral spines in one 

 regular row, one to each plate, and destitute of pedicellariae.) The 

 sides of the rays are so high that the ventral and lateral spines are 

 not certainly distinguishable from each other, but there are four rows 

 of very slender spines on the basal half of the side, the lowermost 

 row, next the ambulacral spines, being sometimes absent, and always 

 fading out toward the extremity of the ray. The spines of the 

 lower rows are longer than those of the upper. On the back, toward 

 the disc, five longitudinal rows of spines may be distinguished, which 

 become irregular toward the tips of the rays. These spines are as 

 slender, but considerably shorter than the lateral spines. On the 

 disc, the spines are similar to those of the back of the rays, and 

 usually not more crowded, but they are scattered without order. The 

 spines, both of back and sides, bear a small crown of minor pedicel- 

 lariae, which are more numerous than in A. Grcenlandica. The madre- 

 poric plate consists of very few laminae, and has a cancellated appear- 

 ance like the interior of the human vertebrae. It is surrounded by 

 six or eight spines, and is placed rather near to the margin of the 

 disc. There are no major pedicellariae in some specimens, but in 

 others a single one, of an oblong appressed form, occurs in the angle 

 of the rays below. Papula few, large, and placed singly. 



