138 VERRILL 



Dorsal spines very numerous and so crowded in the rows and 

 groups that their capitate tips are nearly in contact. The larger ones 

 are nearly even in size and height over the whole dorsal and lateral 

 surfaces ; they are short, stout, strongly capitate, with roundish finely 

 spinulose tips. Along the median lines they form radial ranges or 

 three or four irregular, crowded rows ; between these and the usually 

 double marginal rows, they are irregularly reticulated, or stand in 

 little groups and short oblique rows. Small ones of the same form 

 are scattered between the larger ones. Ventral spines are longer, 

 rather stout, clavate, arranged mostly in three rows, two of which 

 are inferomarginals and one peractinal. 



Adambulacral spines, slender, slightly clavate or obtuse, either 

 one or two to a plate irregularly. They bear groups of minor pedi- 

 cellarise. 



Dermal major pedicellariae very few, mostly marginal and inter- 

 actinal, small, long-ovate; smaller acute-ovate ones are attached 

 within the ambulacral grooves. None of the large, wedge-shaped, 

 serrate ones were found on any part. 



The dorsal skeleton is firm, composed of larger and smaller imbri- 

 cated ossicles. Papulae rather numerous and small for a Leptasterias. 



In form and proportions this is very similar to alaskcnsis, but 

 it is so different in the size and arrangement of its dorsal spines that 

 in the absence of a series of specimens I should have supposed that 

 the differences of spinulation might be specific. The major pedicel- 

 lariae are somewhat different in the two. The types of this variety 

 have none of the remarkably large, stout, dentate ones, so char- 

 acteristic of alaskensis. A large series of specimens, however, 

 shows that this is only a peculiarity of certain specimens. 



Sitka, Dutch Harbor, and Yakutat, Alaska (Dr. W. R. Coe, Har- 

 riman Expedition) ; Puget Sound. 



LEPTASTERIAS EPICHLORA MILIARIS Verrill, subsp. nov. 



This is a small variety with pretty numerous, small, crowded, 

 slender spinules, so that it resembles L. (Eq%ialis. Rays usually six, 

 sometimes five. Radii, 5 mm. and 16 mm. ; ratio, about i : 3.2. The 

 median radial ossicles bear small, slightly larger, capitate spines 

 surrounded by a group of smaller ones. Other dorsal ossicles usually 

 bear a single small, capitate spine with a cluster of minute ones 

 around it. The superomarginal plates bear one larger spine and a 

 number of unequal smaller ones, several of which stand on the 

 descending apophysis. The inferomarginals usually bear two small 



