THE SAND DOLLAR. 8 ."9 



the mouth below; and many pedicellarine. The oesophagus is small and the stomafch and intestine 

 somewhat lengthened and curved upon itself. The sexes among Sea Urchins are distinct, the 

 different individuals containing either ovaries or spermaries only. These are five in number, and 

 resemble those of the Star- fish. This portion of the Sea Urchins (the ovaries) are the most 

 important in an economic point of view, the ovaries alone being eaten. 



The common or green Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus drobacJtiensis) has a very wide range, 

 arid is very abundant upon our northern coast. It extends from New Jersey to the Hay <>t' 

 Fundy, but south and west of the eastern part of Long Island Sound it is rare. Its bathymetrical 

 range is from low-water mark to depths of over four hundred fathoms. Outside of the United 

 States, it ranges from Nova Scotia to the Arctic Ocean ; from Spitzbergen to Great Britain; from 

 Bering Strait to the Gulf of Georgia ; and along Eastern Siberia to Okhotsk Sea, and De- 

 Castries' Bay. This species "feeds partly on diatoms and other small algse, etc., which it cuts from 

 the rocks with the sharp points of its teeth, and it is also fond of dead fishes, which are soon 

 devoured, bones and all. In return it is swallowed whole, in large quantities, by the wolf-fish 

 and other large fishes." The green Sea Urchin is not now eaten upon our eastern coast, and 

 most Americans would probably regard its use as food with much repugnance, but it was formerly 

 eaten by some of the native east coast Indian tribes, and is still favorably regarded by the 

 Alaskans. Mr. Henry Elliott states that at Saint Paul's Island the villagers, principally Aleuts, 

 search for it at low tide, under the shelter of the bowlders, which stand in the tide pools, on the 

 rocky shores, during nearly all seasons. Usually the shells are broken, the ovaries removed and 

 spread out like raw oysters on a plate, and eaten with salt, pepper, and vinegar. The old women, 

 called "barbies," despise these condiments, however, and suck the Sea Urchins as small boys do 

 eggs. The native Alaskan name for this Sea Urchin is " Eepkie." 



The common west coast Sea Urchin (StrongylocentrotMs fraiiciscnnus) inhabits the coasts of 

 Southern Alaska, British Columbia, and the United States, as far south as San Diego, California. 

 It attains a much larger size than the green Sea Urchin, and is used as food in some localities. 

 In Southern Europe a related species, Strongylocentrotus lividus, is much esteemed as food. 



The " Sand Dollar," or "Flat Sea Urchin" (Ecliinaraclmius parma), of the New England coast 

 differs so much from the Green Sea Urchin in appearance that it would scarcely appear to belong 

 to the same group of animals, from a superficial examination. Its principal points of difference 

 are its extremely compressed form and very small spines, which are nearly uniform over the 

 entire body. The lower side is perfectly flat, and the upper but slightly convex. Its only 

 importance from an economic standpoint arises from the fact that it furnishes an indelible ink, 

 which might possibly be utilized in the arts, as it now is to a slight extent by the fishermen of 

 some parts of the coast. 



The Sand Dollar is commonly met with on sandy shores, but is seldom found living "except 

 at extreme low water of spring tides, when it may sometimes be found on flats or bars of fine sili- 

 ceous sand in great numbers, buried just beneath the surface, or even partially exposed. It creeps 

 along beneath the sand with a slow gliding motion, by means of the myriads of minute extensile 

 suckers with which it is furnished. It is far more abundant on sandy bottoms at various depths 

 oft' shore. It has a very wide range, for it is found all the way from New Jersey to Labrador, and 

 also on the North Pad lie const ; and in depth it ranges from low-water mark to four hundred and 

 thirty fathoms, off Saint George's I'.ank, where it was dredged by Messrs. Smith and I larger. 

 When living its color is usually a rich purplish-brown, bat it soon turns green when taken from 

 the water. It gives a dark green or blackish color to alcohol, which stains very injuriously any 

 other specimens put in with it. The fishermen on the coast of Maine and New Brunswick some- 



