Hkmiam. — Sfc/Icrir/x <nul hJrhiirirh from the Kermadecs. 161 



Tripneustes gratilla L. A^assiz. 



T . van'ri/atus. Farquhar, &(-. ♦ 



Of this species I received four dried individuals aud two preserved in 

 alcohol. The largest has a diameter of 77 mm., and its height is 35 mm. 



Co/ )Mr.— Oliver notes, '' Colour of the spines white to purplish-white." 

 When dried they are white, tipped with pale-reddish tint. The dried test 

 is purplish-red. The ambulacral areas are paler, the interarabulacrals 

 darker. 



" The short spines distinguish it readily from the other regular echinids 

 of the Kermadecs." 



Locality. — Sunday Island (July. 1908) : " Large ones were seen in 

 2-5 fathoms of water in Denham Bay." " Numbers of these sea-urchins 

 were killed by the encroachment of sand on the boulders on which they were 

 living, during the winter months, when strong westerly winds prevail." 

 It has been recorded also by Farquhar (1898). 



Distribution. — Australia, Lord Howe Island, Fiji, Sandwich Islands, 

 Japan. 



Echinometra mathaei Blainville. 

 E. lucunter, auct.* 



Four specimens were sent to me. 



Oliver states that the " colour of the spines is white or grey." I find 

 that they are white in the dried specimen, tipped with pale green, with a 

 green axis, as seen on breaking them across. They are superficially ribbed. 

 The smaller spines are wholly green. 



Loca%.— South Bay, Sunday Island (7/11/1908). Farquhar (1898) has 

 already recorded this species. Oliver says that it is " very rare." They 

 wei'e found " in crevices of rocks and in ror-k-pools between tide-marks." 



Plesianthus testudinarius Gray. 

 Echinanthus testudinarius, auct. 



A single dead test Avas obtained, dredged in 12 fathoms, on rock and 

 gravel bottom. It had evidently been dead for some time before being 

 collected, for the actinal surface has several patches of polyzoan colonies 

 on it. some flustroid and one tubuloid. The abactinal surface is also 

 corroded, the tubercles being in parts obliterated. The whole surface is 

 quite friable, and easily brushed away when an attempt was made to clean it. 



The length of the individual is 115 mm. ; the greatest width is at the 

 level of the anterior pair of ambulacra, and is 97 mm. ; height, 27 mm. : 

 length of the postero-lateral ambulacrum, 39 mm. ; width of the poriferous 

 zone, 3 mm. ; iuterporiferous area, 15 mm. ; length of the antero-lateral 

 ambulacrum, 37 mm. ; width of poriferous zone, 3 mm. ; of iuterporiferous 

 area, 13-5 mm. 



Locality.— Meyer Island, in 12 fathoms (20/5/1908). 



Distribution. — Australia. Lord Howe Island, Sandwich Islands, Gulf of 

 California. 



* Lyman Clark (1909, p. 520) points out that Loven has already shown that the 

 Indo-P,icitip species of Erhinometro should be termed E. mathaei, and that of Tripneustes 

 T. (jraiiUd. 



b — Trans. 



