WEST INDIAN STAEFISHES 135 



AU the marginal plates have clearly f aseiolated sutural grooves. 



This specimen was taken by the Albatross in the winter of 

 1885, in the West Indies, but the locality was not recorded. 

 (No. 28469, Nat. Mus.) 



Cheiraster enoplus Verrill, sp. nov. 



Plate xviii ; figure 1. Type. 



A large species with a wide, flat disk and long, tapering, angu- 

 lar rays, armed with two rows of long, tapered, acute spines, 

 one to a plate, and w^th a central gi'oup of 12 to 15 long, slender, 

 acute spines on the disk. Superomarginal spines are nearly con- 

 fined to lateral surfaces, so that the paxillar area is wide and 

 covered with very small, even parapaxillae. 



Radii of the type are 21 and 185"^°^; ratio, 1:9. Marginal 

 plates about sixty. The sides of the disk are evenly and broadly 

 incurved, and in the median interradial areas the superomarginal 

 plates scarcely reach the upper edge and do not form a rim, but 

 farther out they form a narrow, slightly raised rim. The pri- 

 mary" plates and those more central bear each a long, slender, 

 terete, very acute spine, about fifteen altogether. The central 

 plate and spine are the largest. 



The general surface of the disk and rays is covered very close- 

 ly with very small rounded, convex, low parapaxillae, covered 

 with minute spiniform granules or with short, minute spinules. 

 Those on the disk and bases of rays are larger, and have about 

 10 to 15 spinules around the edge, and a central rosette of three 

 to twelve granules; about midlength of the rays they may have 

 only six to eight marginal spinules and one or two central gran- 

 ules. Toward the tips of the rays they become almost micro- 

 scopic. 



Many of the larger parapaxillae on the papular areas, and on 

 the interradial areas have a small, erect, acute central spine. 



The madreporic plate is large and convex with radiating gyri. 

 It is surrounded by six convex paxilliform plates, larger and 

 higher than the rest, each bearing a small spine. 



The papular areas are large and broad, occupying more than 

 half the width of the base of the ray, and extending, on the disk, 

 to the cluster of long spines. There may be more than 200 

 small papulae in each half. 



