Report on the zoological collections made in the Indo-Pacific Ocean ...

ECHINODERMATA, 133there is a closer and more regular granulation. The coloration,which becomes blotched in the dried specimens, is found in an examplesent by Dr. Coppinger to consist of an irregular darkish patchat each angle of the disk, and an irregular patch, extending on to themarginal plates, occurs twice on the length of each arm.In a much smaller specimen (in which R = 9} the spines are onlydeveloped on one plate on either side of the apex of the angle ofthe arm, and only two distinct spines are to be seen on the ventralplates. In a specimen in which E.= 16 the second spine is fairlydeveloped on some, small on otherr., and absent from the rest of theplates nearest but one to the apex ; on all of the ventral plates athird, and on some the fourth, spine is now to be made out.Of several specimens collected at Alert Island one has at some ofits angles three spine-bearing plates.In addition to the specimens from Thursday Island, Alert Island,and Prince of Wales Channel (7 fms.), the British Museum containsthree specimens which were collected in " Australia " byMacgillivray in 1S62.29. Astropecten polyacanthus.M.