IO4 VERRILL 



but more slender. They increase somewhat in length and thickness 

 toward the mouth. 



The two apical peroral spines are rather stouter and shorter than 

 the adorals ; their side spines are about half as long and more slender. 

 The epioral spines are like the adorals. 



The adoral carina is rather thick and stout, composed of three 

 pairs of contingent plates beyond the epiorals, the third pair bearing 

 two spines. 



Major pedicellariae of moderate size occur among the ventral 

 spines and on the lateral and dorsal surfaces, but are not numerous. 

 They are compressed, lanceolate or acute-ovate, with sharp tips. 



The type of this species was from near Victoria, B. C. (Prov. Mus. 

 B. C., coll. Dr. C. F. Newcombe). 



ASTERIAS POLYTHELA Verrill. 



Plate LV, figures i, 2 (dorsal) ; plate LXX, figure 8; plate LXXII, figure 2; plate 

 LXXXIV, figures 3, 4 (details) ; plate LXXIX, figures 1-20 (details). 



Asterias polythela VERRILL, Amer. Journ. Science, XXVIH, p. 68, 1909. 



Rays six, stout, of moderate length, rounded and with a firm 

 skeleton. Radii, 20 mm. and 80 mm. ; ratio, i : 4. 



Dorsal surface appears rough and rugged. It bears an irregular 

 number of large, stout, round spines, arranged without order, except 

 that in a few places two or three may stand in a median series ; else- 

 where they may be grouped, two to five, near together, or stand 

 singly. These spines stand on raised central bosses of the plates; 

 they are constricted somewhat at base and then abruptly enlarged 

 below the middle ; the terminal part is regularly tapered or somewhat 

 acorn-shaped or nipple-shaped, longitudinally finely grooved, ending 

 in a blunt apex. They are 2 mm. to 4 mm. high and 1.5 mm. to 

 2 mm. in diameter. Scattered over the whole surface are many 

 small, unequal, short, acorn-shaped and capitate spines, mostly from 

 2 mm. to 4 mm. in diameter. The large and small spines are all 

 surrounded by close wreaths of small minor pedicellariae ; clusters of 

 these are also attached to the skin, so that the surface appears to be 

 almost covered with them. 



The marginal and actinal rows of spines are pretty regular and 

 smaller than the dorsals. The upper marginals stand mostly one to a 

 plate proximally and two to a plate distally. They are shaped some- 

 what like the large dorsals and nearly as long, but only about half as 

 thick. The lower marginals are about as long, but stouter; they 



