222 THE AQUARIAN NATURALIST. 



whenever, having wandered too far, they are left be- 

 hind by the retreating tide ; still, however, it is not 

 impossible for the practised eye to detect their place 

 of concealment, which is recognizable by a kind of 

 funnel-shaped depression observable in the surface of 

 the sand immediately over their retreat. The fisher- 

 men even pretend to judge of the probability of a 

 storm by the urchin burying itself more or less deeply 

 beneath the surface. 



The Sea-urchins are stated to be carnivorous, and 

 are said to feed upon crustaceous and bivalve mol- 

 lusca. How far this may be true it is difficult to 

 say ; their stomachs and we have examined numbers 

 of them are generally found filled with nothing but 

 the debris of Algae, Zoophytes, Desmidese and similar 

 materials. M. Bosc, however, states positively, that 

 he has seen one eating a crab which it had seized with 

 its tentacular suckers, and was busily employed in 

 breaking up by means of its formidable teeth. 



According to the account of another writer, 

 " The Sea-urchin is a most voracious and promiscuous 

 feeder, always ready to eat ; nor is any animal better 

 qualified for the destruction of others with impunity 

 to itself. The strength of the teeth is marvellous ; 

 and, as if to prove auxiliary, the principal power for 

 the capture of prey seems to reside in the suckers 

 near the mouth. The Echinus is, in fact, a bold, 

 fierce, and destructive creature, the inveterate enemy 

 of whatever it can overcome, and greedily devouring 

 all that comes in its way, even what seems secure 

 from assault. Nothing has any chance of escape; 

 fish, flesh, Zoophytes, Algae and Fuci, all are accepted ; 



