14O VERRILL 



^*V 



The type is five-rayed and larger than is usual in this species. It 

 equals the large six-rayed specimens of the other varieties. The 

 radii are 10 mm. and 60 mm. ; ratio, i : 6, for the longer rays. The 

 rays are decidedly unequal, however, in the type, owing to former 

 injury. The arrangement of the dorsal ossicles seems to be much as 

 in the typical form, and alaskensis, but the spines are very un- 

 equal. The smaller are very numerous, rather minute and capi- 

 tate, while the larger, clustered ones are larger than usual, with 

 broadly capitate or button-like ends, wider than high. The clusters 

 are most numerous along the middle of the rays, but do not form a 

 regular row; elsewhere they are very irregularly scattered. The 

 superomarginal spines form a pretty regular row of slightly longer 

 blunt spines on some of the rays, but are quite irregular on others. 



The single row of inferomarginals and two rows of interactinals 

 are longer, not so stout, bent upward a little, and blunt at the tip. 

 The second row of interactinals may reach nearly to the end of the 

 rays. The adambulacral spines are as in var. alaskensis. Papulae 

 stand between all these rows of spines, either in small groups or 

 singly. Minor pedicellariae are abundant on the adambulacral spines. 

 Major pedicellariae are few and rather small, ovate-lanceolate, acute. 

 None of the large, erect, serrate kind were observed. 



The madreporic plate is larger than is usual in this species and has 

 thinner and more numerous gyri, probably due to greater age. 



When superficially examined this looks like a distinct species. 

 Although the dorsal spinulation appears so different, it is arranged 

 nearly on the same plan as in more typical varieties. The unusual 

 enlargement of the larger spines in the clusters is only an exagger- 

 ation of a tendency present in most of the larger typical specimens, 

 which often, also, have the more enlarged and finer madreporic 

 plate. The marginal and actinal plates are nearly as in some more 

 typical specimens. It may possibly be a hybrid between epichlora 

 and troschelii. 



Wrangel, Alaska, July 6, 1899 (Harriman Expedition), type. 



LEPTASTERIAS EPICHLORA PLENA Verrill, subsp. nov. 

 Plate LVIII. figure i ; text-figure 6. 



Rays six in the type, rather stout and regularly tapered. Radii 

 are 13 mm. and 43 mm. ; ratio, i : 3.30. 



The dorsal spines are very numerous, areolate, short, subequal, 

 capitate, with rough tops, arranged so as to show five radial bands 

 on irregular multiple rows, separated by large, papular areas, in six 



