136 VERRILL 



Both of his descriptions apply very well indeed to many of the 

 ordinary six-rayed specimens of L. epichlora alaskensis, so abun- 

 dant on the coast of Alaska. This agreement is seen not only 

 in the colors, but also in the size and proportions of rays to the disk, 

 the shape and the crowded reticulate arrangement of the spines, etc., 

 while they often form more or less evident rows, as in var. plena. 

 This arrangement is characteristic of many specimens of epichlora, 

 but not often of acervata or horealis. Moreover, the longer arms and 

 smaller disk of the latter are at variance with the proportions given 

 by Brandt. 



Hence, it seems very probable that his species is either the six- 

 rayed form of epichlora or else some very similar Siberian species, 

 and therefore quite distinct from acervata or horealis. It might, 

 possibly, be the same as our A. multicl<iva. The description is insuffi- 

 cient for real identification. 



LEPTASTERIAS EPICHLORA ALASKENSIS Verrill, nov. 



Plate XVI, figures 5, 6; plate xxviii, figures i, 2; plate lxxxv, figures i-id 



(details), 2-2^ (young). 



This is the most common and most normal form of the species. 

 It differs from the type of Brandt mainly in being six-rayed. Disk 

 of moderate size, high, swollen, or plump-looking, Rays six, some- 

 times five, rather short and stout, rounded. The type specimen 

 has the radii 14 mm. and 46 mm. ; ratio, about i : 1.33. 



Actinal spines in two or three rows, terete or subclavate, larger 

 than dorsals. Dorsal and lateral spines short and very numerous; 

 the dorsal spines unequal, smaller and shorter than the laterals, 

 crowdedly arranged in an areolated or reticulated pattern, usually 

 not forming definite median rows except when young; their tips 

 clavate or capitate, spinulose and striated. Large, stout, erect, 

 wedge-shaped dermal major pedicellariae are sparsely scattered over 

 the back and sides, especially in the lateral grooves ; they are often 

 as broad as the adjacent spines and have wide, obtuse, or truncated, 

 serrate jaws. (See pi. lxxxv, figs, i-id.) 



The madreporic plate is usually quite small and inconspicuous, 

 with comparatively few coarse gyri ; but in some of the larger speci- 

 mens, especially five-rayed ones, it is much larger, with numerous 

 fine gyri. It is nearly always closely surrounded by a circular group 

 of small capitate spines. 



There is a complete series of peractinal ossicles, each bearing one 

 large spine. Large specimens may have a rudimentary row of small, 

 usually spinulose, subactinals near the base of the rays. 



