﻿128 
  COLLECTIONS 
  FROM 
  MELANESIA. 
  

  

  13. 
  Oreaster 
  nodosus. 
  

  

  Asterias 
  nodosa, 
  Li7mceus, 
  Si/st. 
  Nat. 
  ed. 
  xii. 
  p. 
  1100, 
  

   Pentaceros 
  turritus, 
  Perrier, 
  p. 
  240. 
  

  

  Pine 
  specimens 
  from 
  4 
  fms., 
  Port 
  Denison. 
  

  

  14. 
  Oreaster, 
  sp. 
  

  

  A 
  single 
  dried 
  specimen 
  of 
  a 
  very 
  interesting 
  and, 
  apparentl}% 
  

   new 
  form 
  was 
  also 
  collected 
  at 
  Port 
  Denison. 
  Unfortunately, 
  in 
  

   the 
  process 
  of 
  drying 
  the 
  disk 
  has 
  so 
  fallen 
  in 
  as 
  to 
  completely 
  alter 
  

   what 
  must 
  have 
  been 
  a 
  very 
  different 
  height 
  in 
  the 
  living 
  specimen, 
  

   and, 
  as 
  may 
  be 
  supposed, 
  the 
  lophial 
  line 
  has 
  also 
  suffered. 
  

  

  15. 
  Stellaster 
  belcheri. 
  

   Gray, 
  P. 
  Z. 
  S. 
  1847, 
  p. 
  76. 
  

  

  Port 
  Curtis. 
  

  

  16. 
  Stellaster 
  incei. 
  

   Gray, 
  P. 
  Z. 
  S. 
  1847, 
  p. 
  76. 
  

  

  A 
  fine 
  series 
  of 
  dried 
  specimens 
  was 
  collected, 
  and 
  HjS 
  there 
  are 
  

   some 
  in 
  which 
  E 
  was 
  no 
  more 
  than 
  30 
  millim., 
  while 
  in 
  others 
  it 
  

   was 
  equal 
  to 
  95 
  millim., 
  we 
  are 
  able 
  to 
  see 
  the 
  great 
  variability 
  in 
  

   the 
  number 
  and 
  presence 
  of 
  the 
  spinous 
  tubercles, 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  

   very 
  feebly 
  or 
  exceedingly 
  well 
  developed. 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  not 
  one 
  of 
  those 
  species 
  in 
  which 
  we 
  find 
  that 
  the 
  smaller 
  

   or 
  younger 
  specimens 
  are 
  the 
  more 
  richly 
  provided 
  with 
  tubercles 
  ; 
  

   but 
  with 
  this 
  we 
  have 
  to 
  correlate 
  (1) 
  the 
  solidity 
  of 
  the 
  skeleton, 
  

   and 
  (2) 
  the 
  small 
  size 
  and 
  consequent 
  slight 
  defensive 
  power 
  of 
  

   these 
  tubercles, 
  even 
  when 
  they 
  are 
  well 
  developed. 
  

  

  One 
  specimen, 
  which, 
  unfortunately, 
  is 
  very 
  much 
  injured, 
  has 
  a 
  

   " 
  greater 
  radius 
  " 
  of 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  120 
  miUim. 
  

  

  Port 
  Molle 
  ; 
  Port 
  Curtis 
  (5-11 
  fms.) 
  ; 
  Port 
  Denison 
  (6 
  fms.) 
  ; 
  

   Albany 
  Island 
  (6 
  fms.) 
  ; 
  Thursday 
  Island 
  ; 
  and 
  Arafura 
  Sea. 
  

  

  17. 
  Pentagonaster 
  coppingeri. 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  belongs 
  to 
  the 
  Astrocjonium 
  section 
  of 
  the 
  genus 
  as 
  

   arranged 
  by 
  Prof. 
  Perrier, 
  for 
  the 
  two 
  rows 
  of 
  marginal 
  plates 
  are 
  

   richly 
  provided 
  with 
  granules, 
  and 
  with 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  larger 
  granules 
  

   which 
  can 
  hardly 
  be 
  called 
  spines. 
  

  

  Arms 
  five. 
  11 
  = 
  91, 
  r 
  = 
  46. 
  Arms 
  24 
  millim. 
  wide 
  at 
  base, 
  nar- 
  

   rowing 
  rather 
  rapidly 
  ; 
  marginal 
  plates 
  exceedingly 
  well 
  developed 
  ; 
  

   pedicellariaj 
  reduced. 
  

  

  The 
  central 
  region 
  of 
  the 
  disk 
  is 
  a 
  little 
  elevated, 
  the 
  thickness 
  

   there 
  being 
  about 
  double 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  disk 
  ; 
  the 
  whole 
  

   abactinal 
  surface 
  consists 
  of 
  a 
  close 
  arrangement 
  of 
  ossicles, 
  the 
  

   surfaces 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  coarsely 
  granulated 
  ; 
  the 
  granules 
  are 
  a 
  little 
  

  

  