ECHINODERMATA — CLARK. 531' 



plates each with four large marginal spines, the innermost the 

 largest. Madrepore plates, in type specimen, present in each^ 

 interradius, of ver}^ irregular form and size. In the other .speci- 

 mens, however, only a single, very small, somewhat triangular 

 madrepore plate was found. Colour in alcohol, and dry, light 

 brown. Under a magnification of seventy diameters, all the 

 spines and spinelets are found to be very thorny at the tip. 



Five specimens. Lord Howe Island. 



In the type specimen, which is the largest, the seven rays aie 

 only slightly unequal, and in a second, much smaller, specimen 

 there are six nearly equal rays. In the other specimens, however, 

 there is great diversity in the relative size of the rays; one has 

 two large and four smaller rays, a second lias four large and three 

 vei'y much smaller rays, and the third has four large and three 

 very minute rays, which are only visible actinally. These last 

 two specimens would seem to show that this Henricia, like some 

 species of Stichaster, reproduces by fission, for in both cases the 

 large and small rays form separate groups on opposite sides of 

 the animal. 



There can be no doubt, I think, that this is the starfish referred 

 to by Etheridge^^ as " Patiria cj-assa, Gray," which he describes 

 as " somewhat solariform, with six or seven rays, and grey in 

 colour." The known species of Patiria have only five rays, and 

 they' are structurally quite difi^rent from this species from Lord 

 Howe Island. In all essentials this form is a typical Henricia 

 except in the complete absence of a furrow spine. In this 

 particular it agrees with the nearly related Perknaster, Sladen, 

 but its general facies is utterly unlike the species of that genus. 

 It does not seem to me advisable, however, to base a new genus 

 upon this character (or perhaps more properly, lack of character), 

 even though it is combined with an unusual number of rays. It 

 is interesting to note that while four species of Henricia (each 

 having five rays and furrow spines) are known from the New 

 Zealand I'egion, the genus has not hitherto been reported from 

 Australian waters. 



COSCINASTERIAS GALA MARIA. 



Asterias calamaria, Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., vi., 1840, p. 179, 

 Coscinasterias muricata, Verrill, Trans. Conn. Acad, i., 2, 1867. 



p. 248. 

 Coscinasterias calamaria, Perrier, Exp. " Trav." et "Tal."Echi- 



nod., 1894, p. 106. 



1 Etheridge— Austr. Mus. Mem., ii., 1, No. 1, 1889, p. 39. 



