148 



Ti-ansactions. 



Locality.— On the east coast of Sunday Island ; common ; rarely noticed 

 elsewhere. 



Remarks. — This species differs from our New Zealand A. regularis in 

 several points : the spines on the upper surface are finer and more nume- 

 rous, while in that species also the radials are not prominent. I may state 

 that a good account of our native species is a desideratum, for it exhibits 

 some variations. No one has recognized again Perrier's A. novae-zealandiae , 

 which appears to be a variation only. All the Kermadec individuals have 

 5 arms, whereas A. regularis is well known to present 5, 6, or even 7 arms. 



This new species is allied, I think, to A. gimnii Gray, from the coasts of 

 Australia, Tasmania, and the Cape of Good Hope, which, however, is appa- 

 rently invariably 6-rayed, and the actinal surface of the adambulacral plates 

 bears 2 spines. Owing to lack of necessary literature I give it a new name, 

 though I am quite prepared to find that this species has already been 

 described. 



Ophidiaster (?) kermadecensis sp. nov. Figs. 7-11. 



The material consist of several dried individuals, as well as three in 

 alcohol. 



Dimensions. — E, 82, r 12 ; so that r : R is nearly 1 : 7. The diameter 

 of the arm about half-way along is 12 mm. 



The rays are long, subcylindrical, tapering to a point. The abactinal 

 skeleton is composed of romided and round-topped plates, covered with 







Fig. 



Fig. 8. 



Ophidiaster (?) kermadecensis. 



Fig. 7. A portion of a ray, abactinal surface (x 4). No attempt is made to siiow tl.e 

 granulation of the skin, nor the fact that the papiilar areas are depressed 

 below the level of the upper surface of the plates, which have their outlines 

 too sharply marked in the figui-e. 



Fig. 8. A portion of a ray, actinal surface (x 4). See remarks under previous figure. 



a tough skin presenting small, unequal-sized, closely set, low, rounded 

 granulations, so that the skin looks shagreened. 



There are 7 rows of plates, all practically alike in form and size — that is, 

 a median (radial), a lateral (adradial) on each side, and the two marginals. 



The papular areas are large, and are continuous with one another in 

 a longitudinal direction. Numerous pores, as many as 15 to 20. are 



