570 THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 
4, Asterias torquata, n. sp. (Pl. CII. figs. 1-4). 
Rays five. R= 76mm.; r=9mm. R>8r. Breadth of a ray at the base, 11°5 
mm. ; breadth at 10 mm. from the base, 15°5 mm., and midway between the disk and the 
extremity, 14 mm. 
Rays long in proportion to the disk, broad and stout, tapering very slightly on the 
inner two-thirds, then rather rapidly on the outer third; abruptly constricted laterally at 
the base, where the rays appear crushed together and give at first sight a false appearance 
of a larger size to the disk than is actually the case. Junction of the base and disk 
marked abactinally by a slight depression, where the rays easily separate, 
The abactinal area is beset with plates which bear single, isolated, short, robust 
spinelets, very slightly tapering and obtusely rounded at the tip. The spines are covered 
fully half their length with a thick membranous sheath which rises perpendicularly and 
terminates abruptly, and its free margin is beset with a regular circlet of large uniform 
forcipiform pedicellariz. Occasionally round the large spines the circlet may be doubled 
or a few additional pedicellarize may be present. The spines are widely spaced, and the 
intervening membrane is naked. It is punctured by numerous papule in groups of 
four or five. In some examples the median radial series of plates is distinctly traceable, 
and may be even conspicuous, in consequence of the presence of two or three spinelets on 
a plate placed in line transverse to the direction of the ray. 
The armature of the adambulacral plates consists of two short, rather delicate, slightly 
tapering, obt usely-tipped, equal spinelets, which form two longitudinal rows. No pedicel 
larize are present. Immediately external to the adambulacral plates is a slightly oblique 
transverse series of three equal spinelets borne on an actinal plate (? infero-marginal) 
which form three longitudinal rows. The spinelets are spaced apart, but rather 
closely ; they are rather longer and much more robust than the armature of the adambu- 
lacral plates, slightly tapering and obtusely tipped, and each is covered with a membranous 
sheath which extends nearly to the tip, terminates abruptly, and bears on the margin at 
the outer side of the spine a few forcipiform pedicellarize which are most numerous on the 
outermost of the three spinelets. This series of spinelets is separated by a very narrow 
space oce upied by papulee, and at wide intervals apart, on the inner part of the ray, by an 
occasional rather large forficiform pedicellaria, from a subregular longitudinal series of 
spinelets, which is perhaps the representative of a supero-marginal series, but is in no way 
distinguishable from the spinelets of the abactinal plates generally, excepting in its more 
regular longitudinal disposition. 
The actinal interradial regions are narrow and devoid of spinelets, but may bear one or 
more forficiform pedicellarie. 
The madreporiform body is distinet and situated close to the margin ; it is surrounded by 
a circlet of well-spaced spinelets, similar in all respects to those on the abactinal surface gene- 
rally, with sheath and pedicellariz. Its surface is grooved with fine convoluted striations. 
