C0MATUL2E OF THE MEEGUI ARCHIPELAGO . 



307 



Description of an Individual. Centro-dorsal a thick disk, 

 bearing about forty cirri, which reach 60 millim. in length. 

 They consist of 60-70 tolerably uniform joints, the distal halves of 

 which have sharp spines. First radials partially visible ; the 

 second and third narrow, strongly convex, and united by syzygy. 

 The rays are quite free laterally, and divide four or five times ; 

 each series of two articulated joints, the first nearly square, and 

 the axillary pentagonal, often as long or longer than wide. All 

 these joints are relatively deep and narrow, with a strongly 

 rounded dorsal surface. 



Arms very numerous, fifteen or eighteen to the ray, with 

 compressed joints, the lower ones oblong, and their successors 

 more unequally quadrate. A syzygy in the third brachial, with 

 others following at very uncertain intervals (5-13 joints) ; but 

 they are apparently altogether absent in some arms. 



The first pinnule (on 2nd brachial) is slender and tapering, con- 

 sisting of 35 or more elongated joints, and reaching nearly 

 25 millim. in length. The next few brachials bear quite short 

 pinnules, with only some six or eight joints ; and their successors 

 increase slowly in length, but never become specially long. 



Disk much incised, and not regularly plated, though the 

 integument is very dense and tough. 



Colour very dark, almost black— probably deep purple in life, — 

 with lighter patches on the arms. Sacculi very abundant on the 

 pinnules. 



Disk 25 millim. ; spread 35 centim. 



Habitat. King Island ; sublittoral. One specimen and a 

 detached disk. 



Remarks. This is a fine species which may be referred for the 

 present to the J£legans-gvou\) ; though it differs from the three 

 members of the group which are at present known in certain 

 essential characters. If other species resembling it should even- 

 tually be discovered, it may be useful to establish a second group 

 in Series 1. of the Antedon-$~pccies, and to call it the Andersoni- 

 group. The three existing members of the Elegans- group are all 

 tridistichate, and have a well-plated disk ; whereas Antedon An- 

 dersoni is bidistichate, and the disk has nothing like the large 

 plates covering the intcrpalmar areas which occur in A. multi- 

 radiata, A. elegans, and A. microdiscus. But, on the other hand, 

 it is very tough and leathery, and the ambulacra! grooves are 

 more or less completely closed by the approximation of their 



