! 5 °] 
RECORDS OF W.A. MUSEUM. 
is considerable and there are few characters which seem well to 
separate the species. A revision of the described species is much 
needed. 
ECHINASTER VESTITUS. 
Ophidiastcr (?) vestitus, Perrier, 1869. Arch. Sci. Nat., vol. 12, p. 254. 
Echinaster vestitus, Perrier, 1875. Arch. Zool. Exp,, vol. 4, p. 372. 
This specimen has been compared with specimens from 
Mauritius and Zanzibar labelled vestitus by Perrier himself, but 
owing to its poor condition, due to a peculiar scurfy encrustation 
all over the surface, I am not wholly satisfied that it is identical 
with them. There are 5 rays about 120 mm. long, and nearly 20 
mm. in diameter at base ; they are nearly cylindrical but taper 
somewhat to a blunt point ; r=i6 mm. The abactinal surface and 
sides of the rays are covered with papulae and numerous small 
spines, while the skeleton itself is pretty well concealed by the over- 
lying skin. The spinelets are rarely a millimetre long. The adam- 
bulacral plates carry only two spines each, one deep in the furrow 
and a larger blunt, or even slightly clavate spine on the margin. 
Papulae are not present below what seems to be an inferomarginal 
series of spines ; between this series and the adambulacrals there 
is a more or less well-marked series of somewhat smaller actino- 
lateral spinelets. Colour, bright yellow-brown. 
Off Port Hedland, W.A. One specimen, No. 4031. 
The peculiar encrustation on this specimen prevents a satisfac- 
tory study of its characters. The nature of this encrustation I have 
not been able to determine, but it appears to be organic. 
PLECTASTER DECANUS. 
Echinaster decanus, Muller and Troschel, 1843. Arch. f. Naturg. Jhrg. 9, vol. 1, 
p. 114. 
Plectaster decanus, Sladen, 1889. Challenger Asteroids, p. 535. 
The occurrence of this species on the south-western coast of 
Australia is not surprising, though it is a considerable extension 
of its known range. 
Albany, W.A. One specimen, in poor condition. No. 4859. 
