ex 



New British Starfish. 



few individuals, in this part of the country, who amuse their leisure by the contempla- 

 tion and the study of the works of creation. For certain branches of natural history, 

 and especially for Ichthyology, for the Crustaceans, the Echiuodermata, &c, the lo- 

 cality with which he is connected is unusually favourable. The coast along the whole 

 parish is of a bold and most romantic character ; and the sea in many places of a very 

 great depth. Mr. Harris has lately devoted a good deal of his attention to what are 

 commonly denominated starfishes ; his text-book being Professor Forbes's beautiful 

 publication on that branch of natural science. The species of which I now transmit 

 you a drawing and description, he has been unable to identify with any of those which 

 are figured in the work just mentioned ; and on this account, I hope they will be 

 deemed not unworthy of a place in the ' Zoologist.' The drawing, which is executed 

 with great minuteness and delicacy, is from the pencil of Mrs. Wilson, and the scien- 

 tific description has been drawn up from the specimen by Mr. Harris himself. 



a. Ophiocoma parmularia, natural size. 



b. Disk of the same magnified. 



Ophiocoma parmularia (Harris, MSS.) 



Specific character. Disk round, convex, covered with small, circular, tuberculated 

 scales, divided by a single or double row of minute granules, which also occupy the 

 intermediate spaces: two triangular, slightly diverging scales on the sides of the 

 insertion of each ray : upper ray scales transversely ovate, surrounded by a single row 

 of minute granular plates : lateral ray plates bearing from two to four blunt, conical 

 spinules, shorter than the breadth of the ray. All the scales are dotted with minute 

 tubercles, which, however, are smallest on the scales of the rays : the granular plates 

 which surround the upper ray scales are larger than those surrounding the scales of 

 the disk. The disk measures full two-eighths of an inch in diameter ; the rays are 

 about four times that length. The scales of the disk Tadiate from a central one to the 

 insertion of the rays, the third from the centre being usually the largest ; those occu- 

 pying the intermediate spaces also assume the same tendency, which is most distinct 

 in the central line, as shown in the magnified drawing. The wedge-shaped scales at 

 the insertion of each ray are tuberculated on the upper portion, but towards the margin 

 are studded with granules (spinules?). The colour of these plates is white, and a few 



