2l6 VERRILL 



of ossicles and spines are very distinct and regular, running parallel 

 nearly to the base of the rays ; but the peractinals are rather smaller 

 and slightly more numerous, so that not all are opposite the mar- 

 ginals. The ossicles of the two marginal rows are opposite, the 

 inferior ones a little larger and more rectangular. The spiniferous 

 surface is broadly elliptical or squarish, bearing dense, broad ellipti- 

 cal or quadrilateral clusters of spinules, slightly larger than the 

 dorsals, and not much longer transversely than longitudinally. The 

 clusters of spinules on the peractinal ossicles are rather smaller and 

 more rounded, but distinct nearly to the tips of the rays, where they 

 become very small. The upper and lower marginal rows diverge 

 rather abruptly, close to the bases of the rays, and two or three very 

 short rows of smaller ossicles are interpolated, making a small, 

 sharply rhombic, interradial area. The madreporite is spinulose. 



The adambulacral ossicles bear a double or triple transverse group 

 of about twelve to twenty, or even more, unequal spines, increasing 

 in size and length from the exterior to the margins of the groove. 

 The outer ones are very small, not larger than the peractinals ; the 

 odd one on the margin of the groove is larger than any of the others ; 

 within the groove there is a small and very short spine. 



The adoral and oral spines are small, and not unlike the other 

 adambulacrals, but the perorals and epiorals are usually a trifle 

 stouter than the rest. (See pi. xm, fig. 2.) 



In life the color is usually orange or orange-red, but varies to a 

 variety of other colors, including dark red and purple. It is often 

 mottled with red or brown on a ground-color of yellow, orange, drab, 

 light brown, pink, or lavender. 



This species is common in shallow water and at low tide, from 

 Monterey, California, to Yakutat, Alaska. 



I have examined specimens from San Luis Obispo Bay ; Monterey ; 

 San Francisco; Tomales Bay; Victoria, Vancouver Island; Queen 

 Charlotte Islands; Sitka; and many other places. It was taken by 

 the Harriman Expedition at Sitka, Yakutat, Kadiak, Orca, etc. 

 Formerly recorded from Puget Sound (Stimpson, Clark, etc.) ; Mar- 

 mot Island (Ives, 1889) ; Vancouver Island (De Loriol) ; California, 

 etc. Mr. Fisher (i9ii&) gives its range as from the Aleutian 

 Islands to San Diego, California, and from low tide to eighty 

 fathoms, but most of his localities are south of Sitka, and in less 

 than fifty fathoms. 



