Records of the Results of Dredging. 69 



dredging in October, I took several specimens of a Comatula, 

 apparently the rare Comatula rosacea. Never having met 

 with one of these curious animals before, I was deceived by 

 their flexibility, and placed them without examination in a tin 

 case along with some shells and Mollusca, intending to exa- 

 mine them minutely when I had landed ; but I was greatly 

 disappointed to find that the creature had broken itself into 

 pieces in the manner of the Ophiurae. I have, however, pre- 

 served the central disc with its curious clawlike filaments 

 (which, in my specimens, are arranged in five fasciculi, each 

 of six or seven arms), and the severed pinnated arms. 



Land and Freshwater Shells of the Isle of Ma?i. — (v. c. mean 

 very common; c. 9 common ; f, frequent; r., rare.) Helix 

 aspersa, c. ; nemoralis, c. ; Tiochilus, r. ; ericetorum,^ ; ru- 

 fescens, r. ; hispida, c. ; sericea, v. c. ; nitens, c. ; rupestris, r. ; 

 radiata, c. ; pulchella, c. Vitrina pellucida, c. Succinea am- 

 phibia, c.; oblonga, c. Bulimus acutus, c. ; liibricus, c. Balea 

 perversa, c. Clausilia rugosa, f Pupa umbilicata, c. ; pyg- 

 mae v a, r. Carychium minimum, f Lymnse'a peregra (in- 

 cluding ovata and minuta), c. ; palustris,/.' ; fossaria, r. Physa 

 fontinalis, c. Planorbis spirorbis, r, ; contortus,^/! ; albus Jt /! ; 

 imbricatus, r. A'ncylus fluviatilis, c. Valvata piscinalis var. 

 depressa, c. 



Edinburgh, Oct 30. 1834. 



[We make use of Mr. Forbes's mention of the fact of the 

 comatula's dismembering itself, to introduce here some re- 

 marks, by the late Rev. Lansdown Guilding, which we would 

 persuade ourselves are connexible, without obvious violence, 

 with Mr. Forbes^ mention. Mr. Guilding's remarks had 

 been penned in relation to the discussion, in 1. 407. ? on " Too 

 great Humanity to Animals."] 



The lower orders of animals have their system gradually 

 less perfect, and their sense of pain and mutilation is conse- 

 quently weakened : hence, they suffer little from the loss of 

 limbs and other injuries, which would be fatal to warm-blooded 

 animals. The radiate and gemmiparous creatures, after vio- 

 lent mutilation, have their dissected parts converted into 

 perfect individuals. Animals which lie concealed by day un- 

 der stones have by nature the power of throwing off their 

 limbs, which are soon restored after the fashion of buds : and 

 it is wisely ordered ; for the force of tides and accidents 

 might crush or hold in captivity many creatures which would 

 have now only to throw off an injured or crushed limb to 



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