348 ZOOLOGY 



.SECT. 



extent with the radial symmetry of the Starfish, two of the anti- 

 meres (p. 40), viz. those between which the madreporite is placed, 

 being different from the rest. There thus arises a bilateral sym- 

 metry, there being one vertical plane, and only one that passing 

 through the middle of the madreporite and through the middle of 

 the opposite arm along which it is possible to divide the starfish 

 into two equal right and left portions. 1 The two rays between 

 which the madreporite lies are termed the limum, the three 

 remaining the trivium. 



Attached to the spines of the ventral surface, in the intervals 

 between them, and in the intervals between the spines of the 

 dorsal surface, are a number of very small, almo. o microscopic- 

 bodies, which are termed the pedicellarice (Fig. 285 and Fig. 280, 

 Fed). Each of these is supported 011 a longer or shorter flexible 

 stalk, and consists of three calcareous pieces a last la r piece at 

 the extremity of the stalk, and two jaws, which are movably articu- 

 lated with the basilar piece, and are capable of being moved by 

 certain sets of muscular fibres, so as to open and close on one 

 another like the jaws of a bird. In some of the pedicellate the 

 jaws, when closed, meet throughout their entire length, while in 

 the case of others, mostly arranged in circles round the spines on 

 the dorsal surface, one jaw crosses the other at the end like the 

 mandibles of a Cross-bill. 



In a well-preserved specimen there will be seen in each of the 

 ambulacral grooves two double rows of soft tubular bodies ending 

 in sucker-like extremities; these are the tube-feet (Fig. 276). In 

 a living specimen they will be seen to act as the locomotive organs 

 of the animal. They are capable of being greatly extended, and 

 when the Starfish is moving along, it will be observed to do so by 

 the tube-feet being extended outwards and forwards (i.e. in the 

 direction in which the animal is moving), their extremities be- 

 coming fixed by the suckers, and then the whole tube-loot con- 

 tracting so as to draw the body forwards ; the hold of the sucker 

 then becomes relaxed, the tube-foot is stretched forwards again, 

 and so on. The action of all the tube-feet, extending and con- 

 tracting in this way, results in the steady progress of the Starfish 

 over the surface. With the aid of the tube-feet the Starfish is 

 also able to right itself if it is turned over on its back. 



At the extremity of each of the ambulacral grooves is to be 

 distinguished a small bright red speck, the eye (Fig. 280, A, oc), 

 with over it a median process, the tentacle (t), similar to the tube- 

 feet, but smaller and without the terminal sucker. The tentacles 

 have been ascertained by experiment to be olfactory organs, the 

 Starfish being guided to its food much more by this means than 

 by the sense of sight. 



1 The slightly eccentric position of the anal aperture introduces a corrcs{><md- 

 ingly slight inequality between the right and left portions. 



