J 44] 
RECORDS OF IV. A. MUSEUM. 
on each side of a ray. This species is notable, judging from the 
present individual, for its smooth surface, the plates being 
flattened, the tubercles rounded and the granulation so even that 
at a little distance the specimen looks water-worn, an illusion which 
examination with a lens dispels. The papular areas are small but 
very sharply defined. There are 14 or 15 tubercles on each median 
radial ridge ; the largest, which is about 13 mm. in diameter and 8 
mm. high, is at the radial angle of the disk, the others being succes- 
sively smaller distally. There are no data with the specimen, but 
it is from West Australia. 
CULCITASTER , 1 gen. nov. 
Form stellate, but rays short and disk disproportionately large. 
Marginal plates concealed, except on terminal third of ray. No 
large terminal marginals. Abactinal skeleton, coarsely reticulate 
with numerous large papular areas, regularly arranged in sixes or 
sevens around each plate. Entire animal covered by a closely 
granulated skin. No large spines or tubercles, Actinal intermediate 
areas very large covered with a flat pavement of polygonal plate, 
arranged in very regular series. Bivalved and spatulate pedicel- 
lariae present, at least actinally. Type species — Culcitaster anamesus 
sp. nov. 
This remarkable genus is so perfectly intermediate between 
Oreaster and Culcita, when seen from above, one might find 
justification for putting the present species in either of those genera. 
The actinal surface, however, is more distinctive and makes it 
desirable, if not positively necessary, to establish a new genus. 
One can easily imagine the rays of an Oreastev gracilis being 
shortened and the disk enlarged and puffed out until its appearance 
would be very much like that of Culcitaster, in its dorsal aspect, 
and if the process continued until the virtual disappearance of the 
ray, there would be difficulty in distinguishing such a specimen 
from Culcita schmideliana. But a glance at the actinal surface 
would be sufficient to distinguish Culcitaster, for no Oreaster or 
Culcita, now known, has any such regularly tessellated intermedi- 
ate areas as characterise this new genus. 
1 Culcita, a well-known genus of starfishes 4- aster a common termination for 
starfish genera. 
