291 
glassy tubercies, so prominent a feature in P. Benhami, appear not 
to exist at all in P. Grayi. Also the shape of the marginal plates 
is different, more tumid in the New Zealand species, and especially 
the furrow separating them is distinctly broader and deeper in 
the latter. The paxillæ of the aboral side are nearly all of the 
same size in P. Grayi, likewise a conspicuous difference from P. 
Benhami. Finally the presence of pedicellariæ in P. Grayi is a 
very noteworthy difference from the New Zealand species, in which 
pedicellariæ are not found. The arms are probably upon the whole 
more prominent in the New Zealand species — but this may prove 
to be a less constant character. — The only other antarctic species 
of this genus, P. pusillus (Koehler), is easily distinguished from P. 
Benhami a. o. through its fringe of elongated spines on the mar¬ 
ginal plates. 
Ben ham emphasizes the similarity between the New Zealand 
species and O. penicillatus (Phil.). That there is, however, no very 
close relation between these two species is at once evident from 
the faet that penicillatus belongs to the group of species characterized 
through having small, paxilliform marginal plates, which constitute 
the genus Gnathaster in the restricted sense (Koehler; op. cit. p. 194). 
11 . Neetvia pe die ellig er a n. sp. 
PI. XIII. Figs. 5-6. 
One specimen, collected at Gisbourne, on the Fast Coast of 
the North Island of New Zealand, was presented to Prof. Ben¬ 
ham by the late Mr. H. Suter. Prof. Ben ham, who had noticed 
that it was different from Nectria ocellifera, as described by S la¬ 
den in 4he “Challenger” Asteroidea, sent me the specimen for 
study, for which kindness I beg to offer my sincere thanks. The 
type, and single known specimen of this interesting species is the 
property of the Otago Museum. 
R—53 mm. r—19 mm; R — 2.8 r. The arms are narrow, only 
very slightly tapering, with an obtuse point. The plates of the 
aboral side of the disk form elevated, table-shaped paxillæ, as typical 
of the genus Nectria, but they are of very different sizes, contrary 
to what obtains in the other species, N. ocellata and ocellifera. 
Off the base of each arm there is a group of 6—7 large paxillæ; 
19 * 
