428 Messrs. J. Wood-Mason and A. Alcock on 



obscrvcatlon goes, seem to live, like many Holothurians, on 

 the organic matter to be found in ocean mud. 



Several ilustrations of tlie vvideness of ocean-range of deep- 

 sea species are furnished by our collection of Asteroidea. 



We must here express our indebtedness to ^Ir. Percy 

 Sladcn's very valuable Report on the ' Challenger ' Aste- 

 roidea, without which indeed we should hardly have ventured 

 upon the examination of our collection. 



Order P H A N E ROZ N I A. 



Family Archasteridse. 



Pararchastek, Sladcn. 



1. Pararcliaster semisquamatuSj Sladen. 



Famrchader semisquamatus, Sladen, 'Challenger' Asteroidea, p. 7, 

 pi. ii. figs. 1 and 2, pi. iv. figs. 7 and 8. 



One specimen from Station 111, 1664 fathoms. 

 Colour in the fresh state uniform salmon-red. 



PONTASTER, Sladen. 

 2. Pontaster hisjnduSy sp. n. 

 Near Pontaster mimicus, Sladen. 



Rays 5. R = nearly 7 r. 



Rays elongate, tapering ; abactinal surface plane ; inter- 

 braehial arcs acute. 



Abactinal surface of disk and rays covered with close-set 

 paxillai of two forms ; the majority are small and are sur- 

 mounted by a few small granules, but a large number on the 

 disk and along the central axis of the ray are larger and are 

 surmounted by numerous small granules surrounding a long 

 central si)ine. 



lilarginal plates closely covered with capillary spinelots ; 

 the supero-marginals, about 44 in number, are almost con- 

 fined to the lateral aspect of the ray, are tumid above the 

 general abactinal plane, and are armed each with a long stout 

 spine ; the infero-marginals, which are larger than the supero- 

 marginals, alternate with these, and are armed each with a 

 long stout spine, and sometimes with a smaller liner spine 

 below this. 



Adanibulacral plates with a prominent semicircular furrow, 

 nuirgin bearing about ten widely radiating spinclets, and 

 with a strong actinal boss bearing a long stout spine. !ilouth- 



