KUNGL. SV. VET. AKADEMIENS HANDLINGAR. BAND 59. NtO 4. 17 



(Bv 1 ? 2 3+4 56 7 . . . 10+11 IG 



R s Ilrf2 ' I Brl?23 + 4 5 6+, ... 17 



( Br 1 ? 2 3+4 507 . . . 10+11 ... IS 



111 I? 23 + 4 III 1 2 + 3^ 



l 1 Br 1-2 3 + 4 5 G 7 . . .9+10. . . 1!) 



Pi 9 mm vvith about 30 segments, P 2 7 mm, P 3 5 mm, P., 3 mm. The length 

 then again increasing to 5 mm. Distal pinnules 12- — lö segmented. Proximal pin- 

 nules (Pj — P 4 ) with terminal combs. Here and there to P u similar combs also appear. 

 The teeth of the comb are abont 5 in number; the comb is rolled tight into a little 

 globule, which is yellow, contrary to the rest of the animal, which is brown-red. The 

 exteriör P:s with distal claws dorsally as in the specimens described above, the rest 

 of the P:s with irregularly smallspiny segments (ef. fig. 4). 



The weak parts of the animal are separated from the body. Anus central. 



If I had only paid ätten tion to the existing descriptions of the species and 

 not taken into consideration the fact that an animal may pass through certain 

 changes during its development I probably, should, have called this specimen C. ser- 

 rata. In the description of this species that A. H. Clark (op. cit. 1, p. 154) has 

 given there are, as a matter of fact, some small differences: that the C:i nsually 

 have a greater number of segments, that Cd stretches a little more över the R:s, 

 and that the arms are greater in number (30) and a little morespiny; still all these 

 characters may be variable at different ages and in different animals and therefore 

 to be regarded as rather unimportant. 



When determining a Comasterid according to the scheme construeted b} 7 A. H. 

 Clark (op. cit 34) one finds that it is the genus Comatula that is first distinguished 

 by the appearance of a syzygial articulation between I Br 1 and 2 and of a repeti- 

 tion of this articulation between the IIBr:s, if such are to be found. This fact made 

 me think at a first, hasty glance that I had before me a Comatula, b ut I soon 

 observed that I was on a wrong track and found on closer examination the little 

 terminal combs that characterize the genus Comaster appearing at intervals on the 

 distal primules. Finally I decided that C. serrata corresponded most closely with 

 my specimen. A. H. Clark himself states that he has confounded specimens of this 

 species with Comanthus parvicirra, a species to which I suspected my doubtful spe- 

 cimen to be related before I discovered the combs on the distal pinnules. 



Considering the confusion of the two species I began to suspect that I might 

 also be able to discover a Comaster in the synonomous list given by Clark (op. 

 cit. 32). 



Previously C. serrata was only known from the seas round the South of Japan 

 and this caused me to be somewhat sceptical about my decision. 



On inspecting the descriptions of Comanthus yarvicirra in all its different pseu- 

 donyms I also found my suspicions verified. 



Of Actinometra elongata Carpenter says (Chall. Rep., Vol. 26, p. 311): »The 

 first six or eight (pinnules) have a slight terminal comb, which occurs at intervals 



K. Sv. Vet. Akad. Han, 11. Band :•:). N:o 4. 3 



