Miscellamoxis. 87 



tentacular tubea which are so constant in the Stellerida, but are 

 deficient in the Brisingce and Freydlce ; this is another transition 

 towards the Asteriadse, and it becomes necessary to establish for 

 the three species which present this character a genus which we will 

 name Odlnia. Exactly between Coi-onastei' and Asterlas temiisjmia 

 we have to intercalate a new form of Asterias which we shall call 

 A. brisingoides, and which is remarkable for having eight arms and 

 for its crossed pedicellarice, grouped, like those of Coronaster, at half 

 the height of the spines. The genus Zoroaster has furnished, besides 

 Z. fidgens, Wyv. Thorns., a new species, Z. longicauda, E. P., found 

 at from 3000 to 4255 metres, which attains a diameter of 0--40 

 metre (16 inches), its disk being hardly 0-025 metre (1 inch), and the 

 ambulacral tubes of which are quadriseriate only at the base of the 

 arms. Near these Astcriada^ we have to place /Stichaster talismani, 

 E. P., which descends to a depth of 1442 metres ; it presents seven 

 rows of dorsal plates, and two rows of ventrals armed with small 

 spines. Zoroaster and Stichaster form a family Stichasteeid.3?, 

 allied to the Asteriada), and apparently replacing that family at great 

 depths . 



A new CrihreUa (C. abi/ssicola), having upon its adambulacral 

 plates an oblique comb of live or six spines, alone, in our dredgings, 

 represents the Echinasterida^. On the other hand, the Goniaste- 

 ridce, Pterasterida% Porcellanasteridoe, and Archasterida) are nume- 

 rous. The Liuckiadfe are entirely deficient beyond 200 metres, aa 

 well as the Pentacerotidfe, Asteriuida?, and Astropectinidse. The 

 new species of GoniasteridcC belong to three genera : — Stephana ster^ 

 with the arms dilated or rounded at the apex ; Pentagonaster, of a pen- 

 tagonal form, but with the sides concave and with pointed apices ; and 

 Dorigona, with elongated arms and with dorsal marginal plates 

 meeting along the median line of the arms. Stejjhanaster Bourgeti, 

 sp. nov., has only six marginal plates on each side of the body ; 

 these plates increase in size from the middle of the side to the penul- 

 timate inclusive. Analogous forms are found only on the shores of 

 Australia and New Zealand {Ptntagonaster pidcliellus, Gray ; F. 

 Diibeni, Gray ; P. Gunnii, E. P. ; and P. ddatatus, E. P.). All the 

 Pentagonasteres are uniformly granular, like P. gramdaris of the 

 northern seas, and are distinguished by the number of their mar- 

 ginal plates, which are 10 (P. Gosselini, sp. n.), 12 {P. crassiis), 

 and 16-18 (P. Deplasi, Vincenti, grandis, sp. n.), and by that of 

 their adambulacral spines, which are 3 (P. Deplasi), 4 {P. Vincenti), 

 5 (P. crassus, P. Gosselini), or more {P. grandis) on each plate. 

 The Dorigona? are represented by two species ; they become shore- 

 forms only in the seas of India and China. 



The Porcellanasteridse include no fewer than nine species distri- 

 buted among the genera Caulaster, E. P. ; Porcellanaster, "W. T. ; 

 Stgracaster, Sladen ; I/yphalaster, 81aden ; and Pseudaster, E. P. 

 The Caidasteres ( C. j^eduncidusa, E. P., and C. Sladeni, E. P.) are 

 characterized by the almost complete absence of the dorsal skeleton, 

 which is represented only by five fillets descending from the dorsal 

 peduncle and exactly interradial. Porcellanaster (P. inermis, E. P., 

 and P. granidosus, E. P.) has been well characterized by Percy 



