88 URASTEHI.E. 



ders, or Sea-jellies, as many report, we cannot confirm ; 

 but the Squaklers in the middle seem to have some lines 

 or first draughts not unlike." — (Works, Wilkin's Edit. vol. 

 iv. p. 333.) Although there is no good reason to believe 

 the skin of the Uraster secretes an acrid and poisonous 

 fluid, the stomach possibly may, and the inquiry offers a 

 good subject for experiment. The Starfishes of this genus 

 prey on all kinds of Mollusca, and are very commonly 

 found with Natica Alderi in their stomachs, the animal of 

 which being large and fleshy must furnish them with ex- 

 cellent nourishment. They do not confine themselves, 

 however, to Mollusca, as will be seen by the following 

 note furnished me by my friend Mr. W. Thompson. 

 "September 19, 1837.— W. D. an intelligent fellow, tells 

 me that he has frequently, when fishing in Belfast Bay, 

 taken Starfish on his hook ; they seized upon the lugworm 

 (Lumbricus marinus) he was using as bait, and when 

 drawn up, the ' centre 1 (to use his own words) of the animal 

 was always fastened to the hook. The ' pluck 1 of the 

 Starfish was such as to induce him to believe he had 

 hooked a fair-sized fish. I showed him specimens of our 

 native Asteriadse, when he identified the Uraster rulens, 

 and it alone, as the intruder. 11 



The Uraster rubens is popularly called " Crossfish, 11 and 

 " Five-fingers, 11 on most parts of the English and Scottish 

 coasts. In Cornwall it is called Clam or Cramp. The 

 fishermen of Newhaven, near Edinburgh, tear them across 

 the stomach in order to destroy them before returning 

 them to the sea ; and there are local regulations in many 

 places prohibiting the dredgers to throw them overboard 

 alive. In Bishop Sprat's History of the Royal Society, 

 we are told that the Admiralty Court laid penalties on 

 those engaged in the oyster fishery " who do not tread 



