LITT1\K CROSSFISII. 



97 



our own shores. The Violet Crossfish is found on the 

 Norwegian coast, and in the 13altic Sea. 



Anciently the Urasters were used in medicine. They 

 were given internally as a decoction with wine in hysterical 

 diseases, and against epilepsy. The physicians of old 

 times, members of a profession never very remarkable for 

 logical acumen, applied them externally in hernia, from 

 some fanciful analogy between their pouting stomach and 

 the appearance of the rupture. Any medical man, who 

 would wish to revive the practice, will find the prescriptions 

 carefully gathered, together in Link, who, however, does 

 not appear to have put much faith either in the medical 

 or gastronomical virtues of Starfishes ; yet, conceiving it 

 necessary to find some use for them, according to the 

 manner of his times, tells us they are of use to man, not 

 because they serve as food to him themselves, but because 

 they feed the fishes, and the fishes feed him, adding, 

 " Miror hinc et in providentia divina sapientiam, 11 



In describing the species of Uraster, I have frequently 

 spoken of spinules, by which name 1 have designated those 

 singular pincer-shaped bodies termed by Muller Pedicel- 

 laria, — bodies seen on the surface of many species of Star- 

 fishes and. Sea-Urchins, and. in the dried, specimen appear- 

 ing like little cleft spines. Dr. Sharpey thus describes 

 them in his account of the anatomy of Uraster rubens : — 

 " They cover the surface generally, and form dense groups 

 round the spines. Each consists of a soft stem, bearing 

 on its summit, or (when branched) at the point of each 

 branch a sort of forceps of calcareous matter, not unlike a 

 craVs claw, except that the two blades are equal and 

 similar. When the point of a fine needle is introduced 

 between the blades, which are for the most part open in 

 a fresh and vigorous specimen, they instantly close and 



H 



