96 ASTEROIDEA.. 



Echinaster eschrichtii, M. Tr. Syst. Ast. (1842) p. 25; Brandt, 



Midd. Reise, ii. (1851) p. -<2. 

 Echinaster sarsi, M. Tr. Arck.f. Nat. 1844, p. 178. 



R=5 r. 



Rays 5, taper very gradually, blunt at tip ; ambulacrum very 

 narrow, spines at its side sharp and spiny or blunt and clavate, 

 irregularly disposed in sets of double transverse rows in which there 

 are from four to seven. The papulae are small, and the ossicles 

 which separate them are covered by fine spines or rounded tubercles ; 

 the ossicles on the ventral are larger and more regularly disposed 

 than those on the dorsal side. Madreporite not very obvious, rather 

 nearer centre than edge of disk. 



Colour blood-red to yellow. 



This is a remarkably variable species. The spinulation of the 

 ossicles of the dorsal surface may be so profuse and the spines so 

 long that the whole surface may seem as if it were covered by them ; 

 in other specimens there is rather tuberculation than spinulation, 

 and the tubercles may be produced into a number of points or be 

 rounded. Very considerable differences are also to be observed on 

 the spines of the ventral surface. 



Distribution. Both sides of North Atlantic as far south as Grand 

 Manan : Arctic Ocean ; presence in Mediterranean doubtful ; North 

 Sea. Littoral to 1350 fms. 



a-d. Faeroe Channel, 440 fms. 'Porcupine' Exp. (St. 51). 



e-i. Faeroe Channel, 384 fms. ' Porcupine ' Exp. (St. 52 ). 



j, k. Faeroe Channel, 363 fms. 'Porcupine' Exp. (St. 54). 



l-n. Faeroe Channel, 125 fms. ' Porcupine ' Exp. (St. 62). 



o. Faeroe Channel, 458 fms. 'Porcupine' Exp. (St. 90). 



p. E. Shetland Islands, 240 fms. ' Triton ' Exp. (St. 1). 



q. E. Shetland Islands, 516 fms. ' Triton ' Exp. (St. 10). 



r-u. E. Shetland Islands, 555 fms. ' Triton ' Exp. (St. 11). 



v-e. N.E. Shetland Islands, 345 fms. ' Porcupine ' Exp. (St. 65). 



f-i'. E. Shetland Islands, 203 fms. 'Porcupine' Exp. (St. 74). 



./'. Off North Ptona, 53 fms. 'Knight Errant' Exp. (St. 3). 



k', l'. Loch Craignish. Hon. A. E. Gathorne Hardy. 



to', n'. Loch Hourn, 70 fms. John Murray, Esq. 



o'-u'. Loch Etive, 15-20 fms. John Murray, Esq. 



v'. Loch Fyne, 80 fms. John Murray, Esq. 



to'. Sound of Mull, 70 fms. John Murray, Esq. 



x'. Between Sanda and Ailsa Craig. John Murray, Esq. 



y'-c". West coast of Scotland. John Murray, Esq. 



