ASTERIAS. 



103 



a. Off North Bona, 53 fms. ' Knight Errant ' Exp. 



b. Tobermory, Mull, 30 fms. John Murray, Esq. 



4. Asterias murrayi. (Plate XII. tigs. 1 & 2.) 

 Asterias rnurrayi, Bell, Ann. § Mag. vii. (1891) p. 478, pi. xv. 



R = 7 r. 



Arms and disk flattened, the shallow sides nearly vertical ; disk 

 small; arms slender, with somewhat constricted bases. Ambulacra 

 wide, feebly constricted at base, but otherwise tapering regularly ; 

 the ordinary arrangement of the adambulacral spines is the alternate 

 disposal of one or two on successive plates. On the outer side of 

 the shallow groove that bounds these spines is an irregular set of 

 spines, which, where most orderly, are arranged in two longitudinal 

 rows ; sometimes they are grouped in threes, and the set is placed 

 transversely to the long axis. The side of the arm is bare of spines ; 

 along its upper edge is a single row of spines ; this never seems to 

 be doubled. At first sight a large specimen may seem to have no 

 other spines on its dorsal surface but a faintly indicated row along 

 the middle line, and neither optical nor tactile examination will 

 reveal many more, save just a few on and about the disk. The 

 whole surface will, however, be found to be densely covered with 

 pedicellarice. On smaller specimens there are a larger number of 

 smaller spines on the arms, but they are never numerous. Madre- 

 porite large, distinct, quite close to margin of disk. 



Colour violet or greyish violet, darker when dried, lighter when 

 preserved in spirit. 



Hah. Only known from "West coasts of Scotland and Ireland. 



E = 173 ; 97. r = 24 ; 14. 



a, b. Upper Loch Fyne, G5 fms. John Murray, Esq. 



c. d. Kilbrennan Sound, 22 fms. John Murray, Esq. 

 e,f. Between Great Cumbrae and Wemyss Ground. John Murray, Esq. 

 g, h. West coast of Ireland. R. Dublin Soc. 



5. Asterias hispida. (Plate XII. figs. 3 & 4.) 



Asterias hispida, Penn. Brit. Zool. iv. (1777) p. 52, fig. 58 ; Norman, 



Ann. $ Mag. xv. (1865) p. 128 ; Bell, P. Z. S. 1881, p. 508 ; Scott, 



Proc. R. Phys. Soc. Edin. 1890-1 (1892), p. 81. 

 Stellonia hispida, Forbes, Mem. Wern. Soc. viii. (1839) p. 123. 

 Uraster hispida, id. Brit. Starf. (1840) p. 95 ; Thompson, Nat. Hist. 



Irel. iv. (1856; p. 439. 

 Asterias rubens, var. hispida, Hodge, Trans. Northumb. $ Durh. iv. 



(1872) p. 137. 



R = 3-5rto2r. 



A small squat form, not known to grow large. Arms short, 

 broad at base, rather swollen, as is the disk. Ambulacra deep, 

 very wide at base, bounded by a single row of rather strong spines ; 

 the next row of spines forms the ventro-lateral line ; the dorsal 



