92 NATURAL HISTORY BULLETIN 



The interactinal rows of plates, beneath, are so closely united 

 and densely granulated that their outlines are not visible with- 

 out preparation. When denuded they are seen to form three 

 rows. The three plates in a transverse series are imbricated. 

 These plates are ovate, except the one next to the adambulacral 

 plate, which is truncated at the suture, and corresponds in width 

 and position to the adambulacral that it joins. Two transverse 

 series correspond to one inferomarginal. The latter are much 

 larger and four-lobed. 



The small transversely oblong adambulacral plates are finely 

 granulated and bear a simple row of very small and short, flat, 

 blunt marginal spinelets, two to a plate; and an outer row of 

 much larger and longer, stout, tapered spines, alternating with 

 very small acute spinelets, one of each kind on each plate. 



Dredged by the Bahama Expedition at stations 56 and 57 on 

 the Pourtales Plateau, off Florida, in 200 to 225 fathoms. Taken 

 by the Albatross at station 2416 in 276 fathoms, coral sand and 

 shells, N. lat. 31° 26', off Georgia, several specimens. (Nat. 

 Mus. ; Yale Mus.) 



Perrier (1884, p. 172, and 1894, p. 37) listed an undescribed 

 species of this family as "Fromia mexicana^^ from station 207, 

 off Martinique, in 96 fathoms. This seems not to have ever been 

 described, and is to be regarded as a MSS. name. 



Genus Linckia Nardo. 



Linckia Nardo, Okens Isis, 1834, p. 717. Gray, op. cit., 1840^ p. 284; 

 Synopsis, p. 13, 1866. Liitken, Vidensk. Meddel., pp. 163, 164, 1864 

 (emended) ; op. cit., p. 266, 1871. Vignier, Arch. Zool. Exper. et 

 Gen., vol. vii, p. 147, pi. x, figs. 1-6 (structure), 1878. Verrill, op. cit., 

 1867, p 285; op. cit., p. 309„ 1914a. Perrier, op. cit., p. 399, 1875; 

 Etoiles des Mer, p. 226, 1884. Sladen, op. cit., vol. xxx, p. 408, 1889. 

 Fisher, 19116, p. 242. 



Ophidiaster (pars) Miiller and Troschel, Syst. Ast., p. 28, 1842. 



Disk small ; rays long, slender, nearly terete, usually five, var- 

 iable in number in some autotomous species. Adambulacral 

 plates bear granule-like structures, in two or three close series, 

 those in the second row alternately larger. Pedicellarige not ob- 

 served. Two madreporites in autotomous species. 



Interactinal plates usually form two or more close rows. 

 Dorsal plates are irregularly arranged, not forming definite 



