•Sit 



The lophial line is composed of about 17 to 19 lounded plates ; the proximal 

 5 ot these bear tubercles, while the innermost of each line has a very large 

 tubercle : a distinct pentagonal area is thus enclosed. The arrangement of the 

 plates within this area is irreyular: a few sometimes bear minute tubercles. 



The madrepore is lozenge-shaped, and lies between the two adjacent 

 plates which form one of the angles of the pentagon. 



Valvular pedicellaria' occur in a discontinuous row on each side of the 

 lophial line, while a few are also scattered on the interlophial plates and 

 in the pentagonal area. 



On the ventral surface the granulation is not prominent, and the plates 

 are distinct. A definite line of valvular pedicellariae extends on either 

 side of the ambulacral grove ; these lie usually longitudinally, but occasion- 

 ally oblique. Larger forms also occur, scattered on other plates. 



The ambulacral armature appears to consist of a single series, but near 

 the apex of the arms a trace of a second series of spines is discernible. 

 Each plate bears four almost equal spines ; these are obtuse, flattened at 

 the tips, and arranged in a palisade. 



Locality. — Station X., Montepes Bay. 



Pentaceros lincki,i de Blainville. 



Locality. — Stations I. to X., Bottom— sand, or sand and rock. 

 Previously recoi'ded from — Mergui ; Tuticorin ; Ceylon ; Mozambique ; 

 and Zanzibar. 



Pentaceros superbus,' Mobius. 

 Locality. — Stations F. to X., Bottom — sand, or sand and rock. 

 Previously recorded from — Tuticorin ; Mergui ; Sumatra. 



Pentaceros gracilis,' Luiken. 

 Locality. — Siations I. to X., Bottom — sand, or .■-and and rock. 

 Previously recorded from — Mergui; East Australia; Port Molh- and 

 Port Denison, Queensland. 



' These three well-known species are extremely abundant over ;iliiiost the whole 

 coast, and are a distinct menace to pearl-oyster beds. During the period over which 

 my work extended on the coast, more than five thousand of these were brout;ht up in 

 the dredge, while on the shallow reefs thousands may be seen daily at low tide. The 

 colour patterns on all these species, but e-ipecially on f . tincki, are worthy of attention. 

 The general tone is in most ca.se9 blue, but the foUowing variations in the colour of the 

 spines were observed — (1) central spines orange, the others creamy-white ; (2) all the spines 

 vermilion-red : (3) all the spines creamy-white. Another type had bright yellow as a 

 groundwork, while the spines were orange-coloured. 



These few observations demonstrate tlie futility of basing any siwiific character on 

 coloration in brightly- coloured asteroids. J. J. S. 



