280 Transactions.— Zoology. 
at the bases of the spines and on the spaces between, longer than broad, 
obtuse, somewhat compressed, constricted near the base. A few major 
pedicellarix, scattered on the dorsal surface, and on the inter-radial surface 
beneath, are much larger and stouter, with enlarged bases and obtuse tips. 
Greatest diameter, 11 inches ; disk, 4; width of rays at base, 1:25. 
Auckland, New Zealand.—H. Edwards. 
Coscinasterias, Verrill. 
Star-fishes with many rays, which are elongated, slender, and united 
only at the base, without inter-radial plate beneath. Disk small. Ambu- 
laera broad, highly developed, suckers very numerous, in four rows. Spines 
prominent, arranged in longitudinal rows on the rays. Dorsal surface with 
large scattered pedicellaris. Madreporie plate large, irregular, often with 
several accessory ones placed irregularly on various parts of the disk. 
Dorsal plates (ossicles) arranged much as in Asterias. 
The excessive development of the rays and ambulacral system, com- 
pared with the disk or central cavity, is the most characteristic feature of 
this genus. The Asterias aster, Gray, probably belongs to this genus, but is 
too imperfectly described for identification. 
OSCINASTERIAS MURICATA, Verrill. 
Rays nine to eleven, slender tapering, rounded above, flat below owing 
to the width of the ambulacra, narrowed at the base, five to seven times as 
long as the radius of the disk, which is small. Ambulacral furrows shallow 
and broad, with very numerous small suckers, crowded in four rows. Inter- 
ambulacral plates thin, somewhat imbricated, connected with the lateral 
plates by a row of small, stout ossicles, which alternate with small rounded 
pores. Each inter-ambulacral plate usually bears a long, slender, tapering 
spine; these are arranged in a single close row. External to these is a row 
of distant, longer, and stouter cylindrical spines, arising singly from the 
connecting ossicles between the inter-ambulacral and ventral plates. The 
latter are strong and imbricated, each usually bearing two longer and 
stouter blunt spines, which form a crowded double row, along the sides of 
the arm. Ossicles of the upper surface very stout, bearing strong, acute 
spines, which are arranged in about five open rows, the median and two 
external alone reaching the base of the ray; those of the median row are 
somewhat larger, and all are surrounded by close wreaths of minute pedicel- 
larie. On the disk they are smaller and loosely scattered, often obtuse. The 
major p ig are numerous, scattered over the whole dorsal surface, and 
between the ventral spines, and also form a row within the edge of the ambu- 
lacral furrow. They vary considerably in size and form upon different parts, 
Most of those on the dorsal surface are stout, oval, compressed, pointed, 
nearly twice as long as wide, about -05 inch long, while with them are 
4* 11 
