WEST INDIAN STARFISHES 145 



forms without discal spines separately, for Perrier did not desig- 

 nate them and I did not examine nearly all the lots. 



The Albatross also took this species in many localities, in the 

 same region. The type (No. 10,226 Nat. Mus.) was from 143 

 fathoms, off West Florida. 



It was taken by the Bahama Expedition at station 2, off Ha- 

 vana, in 210 fathoms. 



Among those listed by Pei*rier as C mirabilis there were prob- 

 ably some of the following species : 



Pectinaster gracilis Verrill, sp. nov. 



Plate vi; figure 1. Type. Plate xiv; figure 4. Plate xv; fig- 

 ures 1-1&. 



Regularly stellate, with slender, tapering, depressed, acute 

 rays. Radii of the type, which is probably immature, are 5""" 

 and 30^^ ; ratio, 1 :6 ; another of same lot has them 4™™ and 

 30™"" ; ratio, 1 :7.5. 



The dorsal plates ai'e roundish or elliptical, very unequal in 

 size, somewhat convex, not crowded, nor closely tesselated. They 

 bear a rosette of about six to eight very small clavate spinules, 

 and most of the larger ones have a small upright, central spine- 

 let, often as long as the diameter of the rosette; seldom twice 

 as long. Near the tips of the ray the rosettes become minute 

 and crowded, and the paxillary area very narrow. 



The papulai" pores are five to seven on most of the rays. The 

 primary central pore is larger than the others and is surround- 

 ed by about five to eight somewhat thickened and enlarged con- 

 vex plates; usually two pairs are situated near it, one a little 

 more distal and the other a trifle more proximal, and wider 

 apart, or else in the same transverse line, so that they form 

 either a trapezoid or rectangular figure, when regularly de- 

 veloped, but both in a pair may not appear at the same time ; one 

 or sometimes two, additional small ones appear on some of the 

 rays, more distally, and sometimes a small pair more proximally. 

 Thus it is probable that older specimens may have at least four 

 pairs. Specimens slightly smaller than the type, in the same 

 lot, have only three or four papular pores. Owing to the high- 

 er and thicker plates around the central and adjacent pores, the 



