Art. XXXIV.—Descriptions of new Star-fishes from New Zealand.

By Prof. A. E. Verrill. From the Trans. Connecticut Acad., 1867. Communicated by Prof. Hutton.

united beneath by a group of inter-radial plates. Inter-ambulacral plates united directly to the first row of ventral plates, and these to a second row of larger plates without the intervention of open spaces like those seen in Asterias. Dorsal surface with large, strong, imbricated, irregularly arranged ossicles or plates, bearing short, very numerous spines.

This species is more closely allied to Asterias (Asteracanthion) than to Heliaster, and approaches still nearer to Stichaster, but appears very distinct from either. The excessive development of the abactinial system over the ambulacral is its most remarkable characteristic. In this respect it contrasts strongly with the next genus. The form and general aspect is that of Solaster.

Cœlasterias australis, Verrill.

Rays eleven, in the only specimen seen, large, inflated, rounded, tapering rapidly to the end. Disk of moderate size, swollen; radius of disk to length of rays, measuring from the centre, as 2 : 6. The triangular interradial space beneath is occupied by a cluster of irregular stout plates, mostly without spines. Ambulacral grooves relatively narrow and shallow, the pores small and crowded, in four well-marked rows. The inter-ambulacral plates usually bear alternately one and two spines, which are long and rather slender towards the mouth, but short, thick, and obtuse towards the end of the ray, and much crowded in indistinct rows. The next row of plates is united directly to these, and the plates are small, longest lengthwise of the ray, and each bears a short, thick, spine but little larger than the preceding, and forming a regular, rather open row. Exterior to these is another ventral row of large, strong, imbricated, prominent plates, each bearing at its summit two very thick, short, obtuse spines, much larger than the inter-ambulacral ones, and arranged in a single row, and on their external side each plate usually supports two or more short, rounded, much smaller spines, the largest of which usually form a regular row. The plates of the first lateral row are much elongated transversely to the ray, imbricated and strong, and so united to the ventral as to leave large openings between; each bears about twelve small, short, rounded, clavate spines, which are placed along the plates in single or double rows transverse to the ray. The plates of the median dorsal row have a similar form, and bear a similar transverse row of spines, which are somewhat larger. Between these and the first row of lateral plates the plates are irregular in form and arrangement, but short and imbricated, with unequal openings between, forming about five indistinct rows, all covered with groups of short sub-globular spines, giving an even appearance to the surface, but with large vacant spaces between. Madreporic plate, small, of fine texture, situated a little nearer to the centre of the disk than its edge. Minor pedicellariæ few,

Coscinasterias muricata, Verrill.

others of similar form not half as large. Those in the ambulacral furrows are even longer, but more acutely pointed. The madreporic plates are variable in number and size as well as in position. One appears to be always in its normal position and near the edge of the disk, while the accessory ones are introduced at various points around the disk, but at about the same distance from the margin. Sometimes, when there are but two and the rays are in even numbers, they are directly opposite and in the same transverse plane. A specimen with eleven rays has two contiguous ones and another separated by four rays, each being composed of several pieces united. One specimen has but one large convex madreporic plate.

The largest specimen is 7·5 inches in diameter across the rays, with a disk 1·25 inch in diameter; rays, ·5 inch broad; inter-ambulacral spines, ·15 inch long.

Auckland, New Zealand.—H. Edwards.

Asterina (Asteriseus) regularis, Verrill.

Pentagonal, depressed, with the inter-radial spaces evenly concave, and the rays short, bread and acute; greatest radius to least as 15 : 10. Ambulacral pores large; inter-ambulacral plates each with two slender acute spines, forming a single row. Those near the mouth larger, obtuse, and flattened. Ventral plates of the first row stout and prominent, each bearing a conical, acute spine, twice as large as the preceding. Exterior to these the ventral or inter-radial plates are flattened or imbricated, diminishing in size as they recede from the centre, each bearing an acute conical spine; these diminish in size like the plates, the larger ones being about as thick as the inter-ambulacral spines, but shorter; near the margin these spines become very small and crowded, many of the plates bearing two. Plates of the upper surface rather large, increasing towards the centre, regularly imbricated, the free margin evenly rounded and thin, bearing near the end a cluster of five to nine very small, nearly equal spines; towards the centre the plates become less regular in form and unequal in size, the larger ones often bearing twelve or fourteen spines in a transverse cluster. Madreporic plate large and prominent, at about one-third of the distance from the centre to the margin. The large dorsal pores are in groups on the sides and within the bases of the rays, arranged in about four rows, which run parallel with the median line of the rays, with from six to twelve pores in a row. A few irregularly arranged pores between adjacent rays connect these groups.

Colour, when dried, dark olive green above, yellow below. From centre to end of ray, 1·5 inches; to edge of disk, ·8.

Auckland, New Zealand.—H. Edwards.

Astropecten edwardsii, Verrill.

Rays five, long, regularly tapering, acute, about four-and-a-half times as long as the radius of the disc. Ambulacra broad, inter-ambulacral plates

angular, imbricated, each bearing a cluster of three or four slender spines on the inner edge, and two or three smaller ones on the outer angle, not forming regular rows. Ventral plates densely covered with minute rough spines, each having also a central series of sharp spines, the inner ones very small, increasing ontwardly to the external, marginal ones, which are strong, sharp, and slightly curved upward, 1/4 inch long. The lower marginal plates are opposite the upper, and project considerably beyond them. The latter are elevated and narrow, twenty-eight on each side of a ray, the two at the angle between the rays much higher and larger, covered like the rest with rough rounded granules, and each surmounted by a stout, blunt tubercle. All the others, except the next two, bear a similar, much smaller tubercle, decreasing regularly in size to the end of the ray. The two next the basal one of each ray are thinner than the rest, and without a tubercle. Paxillæ largest along the centre of the rays, presenting a crowded even surface.

Length of ray from centre 2·6 inches, radius of disc ·6, width of ray at base ·7, of median space ·4.

Auckland, New Zealand.—H. Edwards.

Ophiarachna maculata, Verrill.^*

A large yellowish brown species, with stout arms, finely spotted with darker on the upper surface.

Radius of disk to that of arms as 1 : 9 or 10.

Disk large and thick, the inter-radial regions swollen and a smaller lobe bordering each side of the arms at base; upper surface and inter-radial spaces below covered throughout with small, closely crowded, rounded, or slightly polygonal granules; radial shields not visible; at the base of each arm a few naked, imbricated, unequal scales. Mouth-shields broad cordate, broader than long, the inner end obtusely rounded, the sides slightly incurved, the broad outer end emarginate. The accessory plates outside the mouth-shields either two and nearly equal, or three and unequal, in the same specimen; when there are two they form together a narrow, slightly oblong ellipse, much narrower than the mouth-shields; when there are three, the middle one has a broad, rounded triangular form, and the two lateral pieces are small, unequal, and irregular in size and form. Mouth-papillæ seven or eight on each side of the mouth, the inner one elongated, irregularly oval, somewhat pointed; the next much larger than the others, broader than long, somewhat quadrilateral and irregular, the outer edge narrower and flattened; the third a little longer than the first, irregular in form, somewhat pointed at each end; the three or four following are a little smaller, and about equal in size and similar in form, rather oblong, some-