ROSY FEATHER-STAR. 9 



4. The soft parts consist of the stomach, which is placed 

 in the concavity of the cup, and of a membrane and ap- 

 pendages which cover the surface of the stomach, and 

 ramify over the arms and along the pinna?. The stomach 

 is thin and membranous, and opens externally by a sub- 

 central mouth, the margins of which are crenate. From 

 its side, opening into it by a rather small aperture, pro- 

 ceeds an intestine, which winds round the body, and opens 

 externally by a laterally-placed proboscis-shaped anus, the 

 aperture of which is round, crenate, and wide, though not 

 so wide as at the base. This curious vent has been mis- 

 taken by many authors for a mouth, and has greatly 

 puzzled others ; and M. de Blainville suggested that it 

 might be connected with the functions of respiration or 

 generation : but any one who examines the Comatula alive, 

 or dissects a specimen well preserved, will not doubt it is 

 a true vent. The membrane or skin which covers the 

 stomach is also the covering of the arms, and branches out 

 to the extremity of their pinna?. It is channelled in 

 the following manner : — From the mouth proceed five 

 canals, fringed at their edges, which radiate and bifur- 

 cate, though not equally, in order to run up the bi- 

 furcations of the arms; tor, looking at the body from 

 above, the origins of the arms are hidden. These canals 

 run up the arms to their extremities, and also to the 

 extremities of all their pinna? ; and the membranes which 

 depend from the pinna? are very ample, and furnished 

 with numerous long white pinnated tentacula or cirrhi. 

 At certain seasons this membrane bulges out on the pinna?, 

 and is then filled with white milky globules ; but at all 

 times the margins of the canals, on the body, on the arms, 

 and on the pinna?, are studded with round brown dots, 

 placed in regular rows and at regular distances. They 



