258 VERRILL 



S. stimpsoni Verrill, which it somewhat resembles in certain respects. 

 The latter is also sometimes eight-rayed. 



The type is from Puget Sound (Prof. T. Kincaid, University of 

 Washington). 



Fisher (191 it, p. 311) suggests that this is merely an individual 

 eight-rayed variation of S. stimpsoni. The species was not based 

 on the eight-rayed condition, for no one knows better than the writer 

 the variability of species of Solaster in that respect. Perhaps no one 

 has collected and studied more specimens of the genus. This may 

 be but a variety of stimpsoni, but among large numbers of the latter 

 sfbdied, from the same region, no intermediate specimens have been 

 found. The most notable difference is in the larger size of the 

 stellate pseudopaxillse, with their few, long, slender, divergent, 

 webbed spinules. 



SOLASTER PAXILLATUS Sladen. 



Solaster paxillatus Sladen, Voy. Challenger, xxx, p. 452, pi. lxxi, figs. 1-3; 

 pi. Lxxii, figs. 1, 2, 1889. Fisher, op. cit., 191 16, p. 315, pi. Lxxxvii, figs. 

 I, 2; pi. Lxxxvin ; pi. lxxxix, figs, i, 2; pi. cxni, fig. 3. 



Rays eight to ten. Disk of rather large size. Radii, 58 mm. and 

 117 mm. ; ratios, about i : 3, sometimes up to i : 3.7. 



Dorsal pseudopaxillse are numerous, rather close, subtabulate, a 

 little convex ; their spinules are numerous and short, thickly webbed 

 together, about thirty to forty on the larger plates. 



Marginal plates prominent, alternate, very unequal in size, upper 

 ones about as large as dorsal paxillse. Inferomarginals compressed, 

 fan-shaped, with thirty to forty spinules. They form a prominent 

 border to the rays. 



Adambulacral plates with three or four long spines in the furrow- 

 series. Actinal series in fans of five to eight proximally, long, 

 tapered, acute, standing in a curved line, the inner end turned 

 aborally. 



Dr. Fisher records this species from seven stations, from Bering 

 Sea to Kadiak, Alaska, in 5 to 276 fathoms. The type was from off 

 Yokohama, Japan, in 344 fathoms. 



The above description is condensed from Fisher. 



Genus Crossaster (Miiller and Troschel) restr. Verrill. 



Crossaster (pars) Muller and Troschel, op. cit., 1840a, p. 103. 



Solaster (pars) Forbes, Mem. Wern. Soc, vni, p. 129, 1839; Brit. Starfishes, 



p. 112, 1841. Muller and Troschel, Syst. Aster., p. 26, 127, pi. ni, figs. 



I, a-b, 1842. Fisher, op. cit., 19116, pp. 306, 320. 



