2l8 VERRILL 



I have seen many specimens that agree well with Stimpson's typical 

 form. They are peculiar mainly in having the larger dorsal ossicles, 

 round or elliptical, and covered with compact clusters of stout clavate 

 or obtuse spinelets, so crowded together as to give the groups an 

 evenly convex form. They are peculiar, also, in having fewer and 

 larger adambulacral spines than in some other varieties. These stand 

 in two transverse rows of about six to eight each, increasing from the 

 outer to the furrow end of the plate, but even the outer ones are as 

 large as the adjacent peractinal spines, while the marginal odd spine 

 is relatively large and stout; the single spine within the groove is 

 small and slender. 



Monterey, San Francisco, and other localities on the coast of 

 California and northward to British Columbia. The three figures 

 are all from one specimen, from Monterey. 



This seems to be a southern variety of the species. The increased 

 thickness of the ossicles and spines may be due to the warmer climate, 

 or to a larger amount of lime in the food. 



HENRICIA LEVIUSCULA, Var. LUNULA Verrill, nov. 

 Plate LXXXVIII, figures 2-2<r (details). 



This is one of the most common shore starfishes from California to 

 middle Alaska. 



Rays five, variable in length and thickness, usually terete and 

 regularly tapered. 



The marginal, interactinal, and adambulacral plates and spinules 

 are essentially as in the typical leviuscula; and as in that form the 

 marginals and interactinals form three very evident, regular, longi- 

 tudinal rows of imbricated plates that are larger and wider than the 

 rest, and covered with large numbers of spinules. 



The only notable feature for distinction is found in the forms of 

 the principal abactinal pseudopaxillae and ossicles. These, instead of 

 being nearly round or broad elliptical, as in typical leviuscula, are 

 curved in a more or less crescent form with blunt cusps, or may be 

 said to have an elongated reniform shape, partially surrounding and 

 enclosing the papular pore on the concave side, which is adoral. 



Although this peculiarity appears to be of minor importance, it 

 gives a special fades to the variety, easily recognized even by a 

 superficial examination. 



Large numbers of this form have been examined, from Vancouver 

 Island, Queen Charlotte Islands, California, etc., and some from 

 Sitka and Dutch Harbor. The specimen affording the figures of the 

 ossicles was from Monterey, California. 



