Indian Deep-sea Asteroidea. 87 



Family Astropectinidse. 



ASTROPECTEN, Linck. 



19. Astropecfen, sp. 



A small Astropecten, which I think is undescribed, occurs 

 in the Andaman Sea at about 250 fathoms. 



DiPSACASTER, gen. nov. 



Disk large, with flat rigid rays of moderate length. 

 Abactinal surface of disk and rajs with compact definitely 

 arranged paxilke and numerous intervening papula3. 



Marginal plates with highly developed ridges and fasciolar 

 channels ; the infero-marginals with enlarged spines. 



Actinal interradial areas large, with numerous intermediate 

 plates extending far along the ray, and bearing compact 

 rosettes of spinelets. 



Adambulacral plates with a palmate or pectinate furrow- 

 series of spinelets, and actinally with several series of 

 spinelets arranged in rosette-like groups. 



Madreporiform plate large but concealed. 



No anus exists, and though a minute pore is present in the 

 centre of the disk, it has no communication with the lumen of 

 the intestine. No pedicellariee. 



20. Dipsacaster Sladeni^ sp. n. (PI. V. figs. 3, 4.) 



Kays 5. R = 3 to 3-3 r. R = 110 raillim. in the 

 type specimen. 



Disk large, quite flat ; rays very broad, quite flat, bluntly 

 pointed ; interbrachial arcs wide. 



Abactinal surface densely covered with paxillse which have 

 broad bases, long slender cylindrical pedicles, and a glome- 

 rular crown of crowded capillary spinelets ; the paxillaa are 

 arranged with beautiful regularity in close series of chevrons, 

 the angles of the chevrons pointing to and converging at the 

 centre of the disk. 



The marginal plates have the form of great salient cubical 

 blocks, separated from one another by deep trenches ; they 

 are densely covered with papillary granules, which at the 

 edges become capillary spinelets that stretch across and com- 

 pletely fill up the trenches. 



The supero-marginal plates number 32 (exclusive of the 

 terminal plate) ; they are without any enlarged spines or 

 tubercles ; they are entirely abactinal in position, forming a 



