TAB. LXIII. 

 ASTERIAS equestris: 



Spec. Char. Rays 5. Disk covered with tubercles. 

 Margin with oval plates, each with three to six 

 tubercles on each. Tentacula rather clavate. 



Syn. Gmel. 3164. Linck's Stella Marina, t. 12. 

 n. 21. /. 26. n. 42. t. 33. n. 53. 



In February 1806 I had the pleasure of receiving this 

 superb Asterias from my kind friend and patron, James 

 Brodie, Esq., M. P. and F. L. S., which was found on the 

 coast near Brodie House. It is certainly one of the hand- 

 somest of the genus, and is now first known as a British 

 species. The specimen was about the size of the represen- 

 tation, an inch thick in the middle, rising somewhat 

 cushion-like. The longest spines are rather blunt, and 

 about twice their thickness in length, which is al)out one- 

 eighth of an inch. These are dispersed on plates sur- 

 rounded by little stud-like prominencies, that when fresh 

 have a beautiful pearly lustre : see the left hand loiuerjlgiire. 

 The plates on the side are ovate, and have often three or more 

 spines on them. There are a few scattered forceps-like 

 spines on the upper side, and many on the under side : see 

 the left hand bottom figure. The feelers are flattish and 

 somewhat clavate. The other figure is the little shield-like 

 tubecle, generally on the back of this sort of animals. 



The synonyms of Gmelin, which here refer to Linck's 

 figurrs above quoted, are right, and belong to the species 

 here figured, but the others to a very different species. 



