72 



ASTERIAD^E. 



in 1734, in the sixty-sixth year of his age. His work is 

 a very valuable one, chiefly on account of the figures it 

 contains, which have been often copied, and which have 

 in fact supplied most of the representations of Starfishes 

 extant. Link distributed the Starfishes under many ge- 

 nera, but on false principles. His mistakes arose from 

 want of opportunities of studying the animals in a living 

 state. In most respects he is much in advance of sub- 

 sequent writers on the subject. 



A fanciful analogy between the form of these Radiata 

 and the popular notion of a star, has originated a name 

 applied to them in most maritime countries, — a name 

 which has given rise to a fine thought or two. " As there 

 are stars in the sky, so are there stars in the sea,'" is 

 Link's first sentence. " Coelorum spec-tare sidera decet 

 juvatcpie Astronomos : Physicorum interest stellis marinis 

 visum intendere, 11 saith Christian Gabriel Fischer in his 

 preface to Link's volume. Our own poet, James Mont- 

 gomery, whose inspiration has revelled gloriously among 

 the wonders of Nature, beautifully expresses the same 

 analogy, 



The heavens 

 Were thronged with constellations, and the seas 

 Strown with their images. 



The true Starfishes are either stellate or angular in 

 form, the angles or arms being dilated processes of the 

 body. They are covered with a tough leathery integu- 

 ment, which is more or less strengthened by a network of 

 calcareous plates, and in most species with strong spines 

 variously arranged. The entire surface is also clothed 

 with a finer and softer membrane, and through pores the 

 lining membrane of the interior pouts out. Among and 

 on the spines in many species are seen curious pincer-like 



