24 OPHIUR.E. 



are twenty tentacula similar in form and nature to the 

 cirrhi; in fact, the ten exterior (for ten are within the 

 month) are so many of the cirrhi of the lowest joints of 

 the rays applied to another purpose. The uses of these 

 tentacula are curious. Not only do they serve to convey 

 food to the mouth, but they also serve to eject the matter 

 digested. They are continually in motion, waving up and 

 down ; and every now and then when the stomach pouts 

 up and ejects some digested matter, the lowermost or inner 

 tentacula shovel it up, and the uppermost or outer clear 

 it away. This is done with great regularity ; and it is a 

 very curious sight, for not only are the motions and ac- 

 tions of the tentacula admirable, but when the stomach 

 swells, there appear bright orange stripes of a most vivid 

 metallic lustre running along its surface, with an almost 

 phosphorescent gleaming. 



The Opk'mra texturata has a regular round disk, into 

 which the arms are as it were dovetailed above. This 

 disk is covered with small smooth scales, rosulated in the 

 centre, round which many of the scales are exceedingly 

 small. Opposite the insertion of each ray are two trian- 

 gular plates which diverge and are separated from each 

 other throughout their lengths by two large transverse 

 scales. The rays are long, tapering to a very fine extre- 

 mity, and obtusely carinate. The scales which cover them 

 are very broad and narrow. Beneath they are clothed 

 with small lenticular plates. The marginal plates are pro- 

 minent and rounded ; those nearest the base bear seven 

 short flattened obtuse spines, those uppermost longest ; 

 but the number diminishes with the breadth of the rays. 

 The scales of the disk clasping the bases of the rays, bear 

 from twenty to twenty- five teeth or little spines. The 

 plates between the origins of the rays beneath are large 



