1900.] MB. P. P. BEDFORD ON MALAYAN ECHINODERMS. 291 



The colour, during life, is bluish green on the abactinal surface, 

 the underside being white (in alcohol the colour rapidly bleaches 

 to a dull grey). .t 



This species is distinguished from C. hesperus, the only other 

 known species of the genus, by the spinulation of the infero- 

 marginals and ventrolaterals ; the colour is also probably a constant 

 distinguishing feature. As I hope to publish later some morpho- 

 logical details of this species, I will refrain from discussing here 

 the systematic position of che genus, about which there appears to 

 be much divergence of opinion (cf. Ludwig, Verrill, &c). 



3. ASTROPECTEN JAVANICUS, Vai\ MALACCANUS UOV. 



Astropecten javanicus, C. Lutken, Vidensk. Meddel. Naturhist. 

 Foren. 1871, p. 234. 



Astropecten anclersoni, W. P. Sladen, Jouru. Linn. Soc, Zool. 

 xxi. 1889, p. 322, pi. 28. figs. 1-4. 



Reference. C. Ph. Sluiter, Natuurk. Tijd. Ned. Ind. xlviii. 1889. 



i?=3-3xr. 



Locality Sf Habitat. Abundant in about 2 fathoms on mud, 

 Malacca : their food seems to consist principally of small Lamelli- 

 branchs. 



Distribution. Previously recorded from Mergui Archipelago and 

 Java. 



This variety is intermediate between the type and A. anclersoni. 

 It differs from the former in the following particulars :■ — the lateral 

 spines are always sharp; the adansbulacral armature is tripla- 

 canthid in adult specimens, the outer series being composed of 

 2 or 3 small spines forming an oblique arc continuous with the 

 small adoral spine of the middle series. It differs from A. ancler- 

 soni in the spinulation of the inferomarginals, 3 or 4 spines being 

 developed on each plate and forming a transverse row continuous 

 with the lateral spines at the bases of the arms ; the paxilli have 

 a circular crown with 8 or 9 spines on the periphery and usually a 

 single central spine. The colour is either chocolate-brown or 

 grey in spirit, as in A. anclersoni, which seems to me to be a 

 variety of A. javanicus. 



As in most species of Astropecten, there is a Polian vesicle on 

 each side of the stone-canal and in each of the remaining 4 

 interradii ; each is very long, with a large vesicular extremity, which 

 comes to lie in one of the arms adjacent to the interradius in which 

 the Polian vesicle originates. 



Arm-' No. of 



R. r. breadth. marginals. 



36 11 12 24 or 25 



