NEW STARFISHES FROM DEEP WATER OFF CALIFORNIA AND ALASKA. 315 



Genus HYMENASTEK Wyville Thomson. 



Jlijiin naster Wyville Thomson, The Depths of the Sea, 1S73, 120 I //. pcUucidua Thomson). 



Hymenaster quadrispinosus, new spe< 



Marginal contonr stellate. 11=24 mm.; r=12 nun. R=2r. Breadth of ray at base, 14 mm.; 

 interbracbial angles wide and very obtuse; rays tapering evenly to a pointed, recurve.! extremity, the 



lateral margins being nearly straight; abactinal surface nearly [.lane; actinal surface very convex, due 

 to recurving of rays. 



Supradorsal membrane rather thin, but tough, with a satiny luster; spineletsof paxillae about 3-5, 

 protruding but slightly, forming subcorneal prominences; muscle fibers very difficult to discern; spi- 

 racula not numerous, scattered oyer the proximal portion of radial areas, of fair size ami each sur- 

 rounded by a definite white ring; oscular orifice large; valves triangular, with a truncate summit, 

 however; spiuelets about 11 to each valve, the 7 central ones subequal, the laterals graduated; mem- 

 brane of valves rather thick; on base of each valve at either side a well-defined triangular spiracuiar 

 area about ' the height of the longer spines, containing 15-30 spiracula; in the membrane between 

 adjacent valves numerous spiracula, which extend nearly to the distal edge of the valves; supradorsal 

 membrane slightly raised along interradial lines. 



Ambulacral furrows very wide and open, widest in the proximal third; armature of adambulacral 

 plates consisting of an obliquely transverse series of 4 sharp tapering hyaline spiuelets, graduated from 

 the outer, which is longest and thickest, to the inner, which is about J the length of the outer; just 

 external to the latter and in line with the series is the broadly ovate, round-tipped aperture papilla, 

 fitting tightly over the corresponding segmental aperture like a valve, the base of this papilla abruptly 

 narrowed for articulation to the plate; the first papilla much larger than the rest and lying in the 

 actino-lateral membrane. 



Mouth plates rather narrow, with a prominent actinal surface and a rounded margin for the com. 

 bined pair; armature consisting of | 1 ) :', short, subequal, tapering spiuelets on the lateral margin, and 

 i 'J I on the actinal surface near the median suture L' rather prominent tapering hyaline spines, the inner 

 standing fairly on the margin, and longer than the outer, which is in line with it. The inner spine is 

 sometimes directed over the actinostome and might be considered as a furrow spine. 



Actinolateral spines delicate and well spaced, tenth from the mouth longest; about 30-32 in all, 

 the outer very short on account of the tenuity of tip of ray; no lateral fringe unless right at tip. 



Color in alcohol rose pink; in life probably a deeper rose madder or scarlet. 



Locality: Station 4387, off San Diego, Cal. i longitude of Point Conception i. 1059 fins., mud. 



Family ZOROASTERIM Sladen, 1889. 

 Genus ZOROASTER Wyville Thomson. 



Zoroaster Wyville Thomson, Tin' Depths of the Sea, 151, 1873 (Z.fulgens Wyville Thomson). 



a. A 1. actinal skeleton compact; papular areas small; i longitudinal scries of plates between the adambulacral and infero- 



rginal series on proximal third of ray; spinulation not conspicuously sacculate ophiurus. 



aa. Abactinal skeleton rattier open, with comparatively lar^e papular areas: only :i longitudinal series of actinal inter- 

 mediate plates en proximal third of ray (or ii fourth is present it is very rudimentary and bears no spines . spinula- 

 tion conspicuously sacculate. 

 b. Size large; abactinal papular areas large; skeleton between median radial and superomarginal plates irregular, reticu- 

 late; spiuelets with thick, soft, saccular sheaths; abactinal plates granular sacculaius. 



bb. Si/e medium; a needle-like central spine on all plates except m theadradial series; abactinal plates covered with 

 capillary spiuelets evermanni. 



Zoroaster ophiurus, new species. 



Rays 5. R =140 mm. ; r = 10 mm. R = 14 r. Breadth of ray at base, 11 mm. 



Disk small and convex; rays very long and slender, tapering from a narrow base to an attenuate 

 extremity; abactinal surface of rays strongly convex, with a fairly prominent median radial ridge; 

 spiuelets and spinules exceedingly delicate; pedicellarise of abactinal surface prominent. 



Plates of abactinal surface of disk rather convex, the primary radials and basals most prominent, 

 these covered with delicate and slender sharp spinelets, about 1 mm. in length, distinctly spaced, 



