SHALLOW-WATER STARFISHES 85 



One of these (a) agrees very closely with the type, except in 

 features due to its much greater size. Its radii are 60 mm. and 

 270 mm. ; ratio, 1 : 4.5. 



The dorsal surface is nearly uniformly covered with conical 

 spines, not forming definite rows. About twenty-one to twenty- 

 five may be counted in an irregular transverse series at the base of 

 the rays. 



The upper marginal plates mostly bear two spines at the base of 

 the rays, but only one distally. The lower marginals bear two com- 

 plete rows, to the tips of the rays. 



There are three regular rows of actinal spines proximally, mostly 

 one to a plate ; the first is complete to the tips ; the second ceases near 

 the tip ; the third at about the distal third. 



The inferomarginal row and first two actinals are all close 

 together and much alike; they are rather short, very stout, clavate, 

 with rounded, striate tips, channeled on the outer side. The syn- 

 actinal spines are longer and not quite so stout, tapered and chan- 

 neled on the outer side. On the interradial areas some of the 

 actinal spines are also longer, conical, and subacute. 



The adambulacral spines are slender and tapered, becoming 

 decidedly longer toward the mouth and on the adoral plates. The 

 adoral carinae are about 14 mm. long, strongly compressed, and con- 

 sist of about eleven or twelve closely united pairs of adambulacral 

 plates, sloping upward, and normally bearing each one long spine; 

 but in many cases one is lacking in a pair, and on some of the 

 carinae two to four pairs are destitute of spines. Those in the last 

 erect pair (epiorals) on the jaw are longer and stouter than the 

 others. The terminal or peroral pairs of spines are horizontal, short, 

 stout, flattened, enlarged or subspatulate at the blunt tips. A short, 

 thick, strongly lateral divergent spine, not half as long, occupies 

 the side angles. 



The adambulacral pores are large, and on the proximal part of the 

 rays, within the radius of the disk, they form eight distinct rows; 

 they are reduced to four regular rows a little beyond the border of 

 the disk. On about three adoral pairs of plates, they also decrease, 

 the innermost being a single pair. 



The minor pedicellarias are abundant on nearly all the spines, 

 but the wreaths around the bases of the dorsal and marginal spines 

 are not so large as in var. australis. Numerous, large, erect, sessile, 

 stout-ovoid and stone-hammer-shaped pedicellariae, with strongly 

 serrate, blunt jaws, are scattered everywhere over the back, on the 



