56 ‘* ENDEAVOUR” SCIENTIFIC RESULTS. 
the two; the adambulacral plates being short and over- 
lapping, the spines are crowded close together in a very 
regular and unbroken marginal series; the actinal surface 
of the plates is covered by the same coarse granulation, as the 
actinolaterals bear ; at the very tip of the arm, there occur 
scattered subambulacral spines, like those of Ophidiaster, 
while close to the mouth, 3 or 4 plates in each series, carry 
short heavy spines of the same nature, 1-2 mm. long, and 
1-1.5 mm. thick at tip ; occasionally there are two such spines 
on a plate. Oral spines similar to the adambulacrals but 
somewhat heavier and more prismatic. Pedicellariz present 
in very diverse numbers, of the usual Ophidiastrine type, each 
about .75 mm. long, the valves nearly or quite .50 mm. wide and 
with smooth valves, which are often low and wide; in one 
specimen they are fairly abundant on the abactinal surface, 
but in the others only a very few occur, careful search revealing 
one here and there on the papular areas ; I have found none 
on the actinal surface. Colour (in alcohol), purplish-brown, 
each arm with three broad, indistinct cross-bands of a lighter 
shade ; lower surface pale grayish; dried, the specimens 
become pale, dingy fawn-colour. 
This remarkable linckiid is not a handsome Starfish but 
this is, in part certainly, the effect of preservation. The 
leathery nature of the body-wall, the form of the rays, the 
huge madreporite, the absence of superambulacral plates, 
the presence of pedicellariz and the calcareous plates of the 
ampulla combine to make it a very unusual member of the 
family. The tendency to develop subambulacral spines on 
the oldest (near mouth) and youngest (near arm-tip) adambu- 
lacral plates like those of Ophidiaster are suggestive of a 
phylogenetic connection with that genus and perhaps we 
shall not be far from the truth if we called Pseudophidiaster 
a deep-water ophidiasterid. The smallest specimen before 
me has R=58 mm. ; r=S8mm.; R=7r; inother particulars, 
it is not noteworthy. 
Locs.—Great Australian Bight, 80-120 fathoms. 
Thirty-six miles N. 58° E. of Cape Wickham, King Island, 
Bass Strait. 
South of Gabo Island, Victoria, 200 fathoms. 
Oyster Bay, Tasmania, 60 fathoms. 
