NORTHUMBERLAND AND DURHAM. 135 



carefully preserved specimens present the most beautiful arrange- 

 ment of spines (on the under surface) of any species with which 

 I am acquainted. 



2. Solaster endeca {Linncem). Purple Sun-star. 



Solaster endeca, Forbes. Brit. Starfishes, p. 109. 



Fishing boats, not uncommon, J. A. Rare at Seaham, fre- 

 quent at Cullercoats, Gr. H. Whitburn, G-. S. B. 



Rather rare at Seaham ; during the last ten years I have not 

 obtained more than five or six specimens. At Cullercoats it is 

 frequently brought in by the fishing lines : I have remarkably 

 fine specimens from that locality. 



Genus. GONIASTEK, (Agassiz.) 



1. Goniaster phygianus (Parelius). Knotty Cushion-star. 



Asterias phygiana, Parelius. Act. Nidras. IV. PL XIV., 

 fig. 2. 



Goniaster equestris, Forbes. Brit. Starfishes, p. 125. 



Goniaster Abbemis, Forbes. Ann. Nat. Hist., Vol. XL 

 (1843), p. 28. PL VI. 



Deep water, rare, J. A. 



The trawling boats, fishing in deep water far out at sea, fre- 

 quently bring in numbers of this species : a few years ago it was 

 considered rare on our coast. The pedicellarias are very pecu- 

 liar, no fleshy stem being visible ; neither do they, as in neigh- 

 bouring forms, originate from the investing skin of the starfish, 

 but issue from oblong slits in circular plates forming portions of 

 the hard integument : these plates are similar to those support- 

 ing the spines, both being fringed with minute tubercles : these 

 characters are best seen on the under surface, where a row of 

 pedicellariae runs down each side of the avenues, each being 

 placed in a slightly oblique position. On removing one of the 

 pedicellaria? a large cavity is disclosed, frequently the tenth of 

 an inch long by about half that breadth : this opening commu- 

 nicates with the inside of the Goniaster. The forceps vary in 



