1869,] 385 [VerriU. 



below, consists of moderately large, rounded and polygonal plates, 

 joined by their edges, so as to leave small spaces between, witli their 

 surface roughened by very small, granule-like prominences, and cov- 

 ered with a thin membranous skin, which allows the roughness of the 

 plates to show through it. The dorsal plates on each ray are stout, 

 rather rhomboidal, and bear a row of eight or ten stout, elevated, 

 blunt spines. The sides of the rays are formed by about four series 

 of plates, near the base, in the two median rows rounded, in the upper 

 and lower ones with lateral prolongations, which articulate with the 

 dorsal and marginal plates in such a way as to leave rather large open- 

 ings between, marginal plates stout, prominent, projecting laterally, 

 and rounded on the outer side, much broader than high, alternating 

 in two rows, about twelve on each side of the ray, each one bearing a 

 stout, elongated, subconical spine. Plates of the lower side rounded 

 and subpolygonal, unequal, some of them bearing a very small central 

 tubercle. Each interambulacral plate bears an outer, stout, oblong 

 spine, compressed or wedge-shaped at the tip, and an inner group of 

 five slender ones, of which the two lateral are very short, and the 

 middle one considerably longest, all connected together by a thin web. 

 On each margin of the moutli there is a group of five, rather slender, 

 subequal spines connected together by a web. Near the margin of 

 disk and rays, above*and below, there are many rather large pedi- 

 celaria3, oblong or subcyUndrical in form, obtuse at tips. 

 . The dried specimen is light red above, yellowish below. 



Radius of disk .G8 inch; of rays 1.50; length of dorsal and margi- 

 nal spines .10 or .12; diameter .05 or .06; diameter of upper and 

 lower plates .05 to .10, mostly about .08. 



Acanthaster EUisii nob. 



Ecliinaster EUisii Gray, Annals Nat. Hist., 1840, p. 281; Synopsis, 

 Starfishes of British Museum, p. 12, 1866. 



Acanthaster Solaris {pars) Duj. et Hupe, Hist, nat des Zooph. Ech., 

 p. 352, 1862. 



A small thirteen-rayed specimen, received from Capt. Pedersen, 

 who collected it at La Paz, appears to belong to this rare species. 

 The spines are long (.15 inch) and quite slender. The diameter is 

 1.5 inches; length of rays .40, 



There are five madreporic plates, which are small, round and prom- 

 inent. The plates of the lower surface between the spines are 

 granulated, the granules extending over ^the rays and on the upper 

 part of the margin. Color hght red, the upper spines rose-red; 



PROCEEDINGS B. 8. H. H.— VOL. XU. 25 MAY, 1869. 



