Indian Deep-sea Asteroidea. 91 



but also because its coarse discontinuous vermicular erosions 

 give it a granular appearance mucli like that of an orJinarj 

 plate. 



Colour in the fresh state salmon-red. 



Laccadive Sea, off Minnikoy, 1200 fathoms, coral and 

 Glohifjerina-oozQ. 



MiLTELiPHASTER, gen. nov. 



Allied to CaUiaster, Gray. 



Rays 5, moderately long. 



Abactinal surface of disk and rays covered with a close 

 mosaic of round or hexagonal naked plates, which (like the 

 marginal, adambulacral, and actinal interradial plates) have a 

 fringe of squamous membrane-clad granules lying flush with 

 the surface of the plate, and often carry a single large spike 

 or a large pedicellaria ; papulas conspicuous between the 

 abactinal plates. 



Marginal plates large, naked, armed with one or two great 

 spines, which may be sharp or may end in swollen bitid or 

 multifid points ; sometimes with a pedicellaria also. 



Adambulacral plates with a close comb of furrow-spines, 

 and actinally with (two) great spines which end in swollen 

 multifid points ; sometimes with a pedicellaria also. 



Actinal interradial areas large, some of the plates with 

 great spines swollen and multifid at tip^ or with a pedi- 

 cellaria. 



Madreporiform plate small, nearer to the centre than to 

 the margin of the disk. Anus distinct. 



The most characteristic feature of the species upon which 

 this genus is, not without hesitation, established is the curious 

 form of the large spines of the under surface ; they end in 

 swollen bifid or multifid points, and, recalling as they do the 

 long spines of certain Cidaroids, may be called incipiently 

 Rorigerous. 



25. MilteUphasterWood-Musoni, sp. n. (PI. VI. figs. 5-7.) 



Eays 5. li = 3-G r. E = 80 millim. in the 

 type specimen. 



Disk rather large, very thin, rigid, flat, with slight central 

 and radial abactinal convexities ; rays rather long, broad at 

 base, thin, rigid, tapering and gently curving upwards from 

 base to tip, the tip being turned right over. 



Abactinal surface closely covered with quite smooth, 

 naked, circular, oval, or hexagonal plates, which are fringed 



7* 



