Veebill. — Descriptions of new Star-fishes from New Zealand. 283 



what irregular and wedge-shaped, the outer edge being flattened, those 

 towards the centre a Httle shorter ; these are frequently followed by a small 

 rounded one, which is sometimes wanting ; the last one is short and rounded. 

 The narrow space between the mouth-papill® and mouth-shields is covered 

 with small rounded granules, except about opposite the first, where the side 

 shields are partly exposed. The teeth have been much injured, but there 

 appear to be five, which are stout, broad, the lower ones somewhat squarish, 

 with rounded angles when seen from above, the end flattened, or wedge- 

 shaped, truncate or bevelled. The arms are well rounded, stout at base, 

 regularly tapering to the ends, but not becoming slender. Under arm-plates 

 eight-sided, slightly overlapping, the first eight or ten broader than long, 

 followed by a number that are as long as broad, the length gradually in- 

 creasing, so that at the twenty-fifth plate the length is decidedly greater 

 than the breadth. Inner tentacle scales oblong, shorter than the arm-plates, 

 toward the disk very broad and stout, truncate, farther out gradually becom- 

 ing more slender and pointed ; outer tentacle scale very short and broad, 

 about half as long as the inner; those at the base of the arms broader than 

 long, the inner side and outer end nearly rectilinear, the articulated edge 

 rounded. Upper arm-plates very broad, and comparatively short, the 

 breadth equal to about five times the length ; the outer edge with a shght 

 notch or emargination ; many of the plates are irregularly broken into two 

 or three pieces. Two arm-spines on the first plate, three on the second, 

 four on the third, five on the fourth, seven on the fifth, eight on the sixth, 

 nine on the seventh, ten on the eighth, and eleven on the succeeding ones 

 as far as the middle of the arms. These spines are closely crowded, 

 appressed, mostly oblong, with blunt points, about two-thu'ds as long as the 

 breadth of the side arm-plates ; the upper ones smaller and shorter ; the 

 lowest one larger and stouter than the rest. 



Colour of the disk uniform yellowish brown in the dry specimen. 

 Arms — above — brownish yellow with an orange tinge, thickly covered with 

 small roimd purplish-brown spots, some of which occur also on the upper 

 arm-spines, and upper part of the side arm-x^lates. Lower surface, uniform 

 dull yellov/. 



Eadius of disk, -8 inch ; length of arms from centre of disk, 7*25 to 8 

 inches ; breadth of arm at base -32 ; height, "30 ; length of upper arm-plates, 

 •08 ; length of middle arm-spuies, -05 ; length of third under arm-plate, -07 ; 

 breadth, -09 ; length of tenth, -07 ; breadth, -08 ; length of mouth-shield, 

 •16 ; breadth, '21 ; length of second mouth-papillaa, •06 ; breadth, '08. 



New Zealand. — Chas. Cheever, 1848 (Coll. Essex Institute). 



