ECHINODERMATA — CLARK. 527 



specimens of Ptilometra in tlie collection as small as the larger 

 specimens of pcedophora, and it is possible, therefore, to show 

 that tlie two are not even nearly allied forms ; the conical centro- 

 ■dorsal, tlie long cirri and the crowded jjrismatic pinnules distin- 

 guish the Ptilometras at a glance. Moreover it should l)e noted 

 that pentacrinoid larvae were not present on the pinnules of any- 

 undoubted Pt. macronema, even among those from Station 28. It 

 is difficult for me to believe that the smallest Ptilometras, too 

 young to have assumed any of their chnracteristic generic or 

 specific features, should be the only ones which are breeding. 

 In conclusion, I can only say that while I am perfectly sure these 

 Comatulids are not Ptilometras, I am very much in doubt as to 

 their real S5"stematic position. I think it most unlikely that they 

 are really Himerometras, but I do feel reasonably sure that they 

 belong in the family Himerometridse. 



PTILOMETRA MACRONEMA. 



Conidtula macronema, J. Miiller, K. Akad. Berlin Monatsb., 1846, 



p. 179. 

 Ptilometra macronema, A. H. Clark, Smithson. Misc. Coll., 1907, 

 (Quarterly Issue), L, 3, p. 358. 



4 specimens from Station 10. Off Broken Head, 28 fathoms ; 

 .fine sand. 



14 specimens from Station 12. Off Cape Three Points, 23-34 

 fathoms ; sand. 



26 specimens from Station 28. Off Manning River, 22 fathoms; 

 :fine grey sand. 



11 specimens from Station 1 



The smallest of these specimens has the ten arms only 16 mm. 

 long, but nevertheless shows the adult specific characters fairly 

 well ; the centrodorsal is markedly conical, the ten cirri have 

 each about forty joints and the pinnules are decidedly prismatic. 

 In the largest specimen, there are eighteen arms which are 60 mm. 

 long, and the cirri have over seventy joints. The colour of all 

 the specimens is brown, but the shade varies considerably, some 

 individuals being decidedly purplish, while others are yellowish, 

 ■ or more rarely somewhat reddish. 



ASTEROIDEA. 



The fifty starfishes in the collection represent but nine species, 

 • of which only two have previously escaped description, the others 

 beinf for the most part well-known forms. Aside from the new 

 JHenricia, the collection throws no light on the question of dis- 

 tribution, and it contributes nothing to our knowledge of the 

 natural history of any of the species, except the changes due to 

 growth in one of the common Astropectens of New South Wales. 



