292 Verrill, Notes on RacUata. 



"Arms 30 oi- 31, very short, not one-tenth as long as the diameter of 

 the body, conical, with blunt sijines." 



" Inhabits Hood's Island, on rocks at spring tides, H. Cuming, Esq." 



Heliaster Kubiniji Xantus, loc. cit., p. 558, i860. 



A good specimen, agreeing well with this species, was presented to 

 us by Mr. Horace Mann, who obtained it, with several other charac- 

 teristic Panamic species, from Mr. Pease at the Sandwich Islands. 

 It probably came from Acapulco or Mazatlan. Mr. Xantus obtained 

 his original specimens at Cerro Blanco, off Cape St. Lucas.* 



Disk relatively smaller than in either of the preceding species; 

 rays twenty-three, longer and rounder, gradually tapering. Radii as 

 2:1. From center to end of rays 3*2 inches ; to edge of disk 1-6. 



The interambulaci'al spines are subequal and blunt, and form a 

 single, close row, one to each plate. Just outside of these there is a 

 row of longer and very stout ventral spines, obtuse and flattened or 

 clavate at the ends. Beyond these there are three lateral rows of 

 much smaller and shorter, tapering, blunt spines, regularly arranged. 

 The dorsal surface of the rays has five regular rows of larger, short, 

 obtuse, and mostly clavate spines, the median row having larger 

 spines than the two on each side, which are regular and equally 

 spaced. All the dorsal rows extend inward to the central area of the 

 disk, where the spines become irregularly scattered, and much larger 

 and stouter, with dilated, truncate, or even concave ends. Minor 

 pedicellarise very small, ovate, pointed, very numerous on the upper 

 side of the rays near the ends, and among the lateral and ventral 

 spines. Madreporic plate small, very convex, about half an inch from 

 the center. 



This species is very different from the two preceding. It is readily 

 distinguished by its fewer, longer, and rounded rays ; by the five reg- 

 ular rows of spines on their dorsal surface; by the larger, stout 

 spines of the central part of the disk, often dilated and capitate or 

 concave at the end ; by the very stout spines of the first ventral row ; 

 and smaller and more equal interambulacral spines. 



Dr. Gray has very briefly described, in the work previously cited 

 under the name of Aster ias [Heliaster) multiradiata, a species that 

 seems, in some respects, allied to this. His description is as follows : 

 "Arms 22 or 24, cylindrical, elongated, tapering at the ends, one-third 

 longer than the diameter of the body; the dorsal series of spines 

 rather longer and more compressed. 



Inhabits Hood's Island, — H. Cuming, Esq." 



* Capt. J. Pedersen has recently sent it from La Paz, — Reprint. 



