WEST INDIAN STARFISHES 193 



The dorsal paxillae are round and high, remarkably uniform in 

 size, arranged on the rays in imperfect, transverse, oblique rows. 

 They bear a round, rosette-like cluster of rather coarse, short, 

 clavate or capitate, divergent spinules, of which one is usually 

 central, with 6 or 7 in a circle around it, while about 15 to 18 

 form the marginal row, interlocking with those of the adjacent 

 plates, so as to conceal the papular pores. The latter are rather 

 large and regularly arranged over the whole disk and nearly to 

 the ends of the rays, usually six around each paxilla. The bases 

 of the paxillae appear stellate. 



The margin is formed mostly by the upper plates, which do not 

 extend at all upon the upper side. They are small and short, 

 those on the interradial margins shortest and highest, at least 

 four times as high as long. They are covered with coarse, round- 

 ed granules, and bordered with fascioles of slender spinules. The 

 lower marginals are of the same length and extend considerably 

 on the under side. They are covered closely wdth small, ap- 

 pressed, flattened spinules, largest centrally, grading laterally 

 to the marginal fasciolated spinules. On the middle of each 

 plate there is a vertical row of about four stout, tapered, more 

 or less flattened, acute spines. 



The madreporic plate is remarkably large and flat or slightly 

 concave, with very numerous and thin radiating gyH. 



The interactinal plates are granulated nearly like the upper 

 marginal plates. Other under parts have been described above 

 under the generic description. 



Pedicellariae occur in small numbers on the adambulacral 

 plates and on the first row of interactinals. They have two or 

 three short, stout, flattened, spinuliform blades, similar in size to 

 the adjacent spinules. 



Dredged by the Albatross at station 2378, in N. lat. 29° 14' 

 30"; W. long. 88° 09' 30", in 68 fathoms, in the Gulf of Mexico, 

 off Mobile, Alabama. (No. 10877, U. S. Nat. Mus.) 



Sideriasterf vestitus (Say) Verrill. 



Asterias vestita Say, Joiirn. Philad. Acad., vol. v, p. 143, 1825. 

 Astropecten vestitus Liitken, op. cit., 1859, pp. 27, 54 (no description). Ver- 

 rill, Proc. Boston Soe. Nat. Hist., vol. x, p. 339, 1866 (no description). 

 Sideriaster ? vestitus Verrill, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. xiv, p. 21, 

 1914c. 



This has always been a doubtful species. I am not aware that 



