﻿ASTKOPllYTON AGASSIZII. 189 



Joynt on wliicli the preceding Joyut was pliiced were always about a 4th or 5th part 

 longer than those on the other side. Eivery of these Branchings seemed to have, from the 

 very mouth to the smallest twiggs or tlircds in which it ended, a double chain or rank of 

 pores. The IJoily of the Fish was on the other side, and seems to have been protuberant, 

 much like an Echinus (Egg-Fish or Button-Fish), and, like that, divided into 5 ribbs or 

 ridges, and each of these seemed to be kcj)! out by two small bony ribbs." 



Vol. VI. Page 2221. 1G71. 

 A further Accompl of the Stellar Fish furmerly described in Numh. 57, p. 1153. 



This Accompt was communicated by the same Gentleman that imparted the former, in a 

 letter written from Boston, New England, Oct. 26, 1670, as followeth : — 



" Since my former I found out the Fisherman who brought tliat Stellar fish from Sea. 

 I asked all the questions I could think needful concerning it. I understood from him that 

 he never saw nor heard of any but those few that were taken by himself, which were not 

 above six or seven in all, and those at several times, not far from the Shoals of Nantucket 

 (which is an Island upon the Coast of New England) when he was fishing for Cod and 

 such like Marchantable fish. This Stellar Fish, when it was alive, and first pull'd out of 

 the water, was like a basket, and had gathered itself round like a Wicker-basket, having 

 taken fast hold upon that bait on the hook which he had sunk down to the bottom to catch 

 other Fisii, and having held that within the surrounding brachia, would not let it go, though 

 drawn up into the Vessel ; until, by lying a while on the Deck, it felt the want of its 

 natural Element ; and then voluntarily it extended itself into the flat, round form in which 

 it appeai-'d when present'd to your view. 



" What motion these fishes had in the water could not be known to him, for the water 

 was deep, and they could not be seen in any other form than so gather'd up together to 

 Imld fast the bait. The only use that could be discerned of all that curious composure 

 whei-ewith Nature had adorned it. seems to be to make it as a pursenet to catch some 

 other fish, or any other thing fit (or its food, and as a basket of store to keep some of it for 

 future supply, or as a receptacle to preserve and defend the young ones of the same kind 

 i'rom fish of prey ; if not to feed on them also (which appears probable the one or the 

 other), for that sometimes there were found pieces of Mackerel within that concave. And 

 he told me that once he caught one. which had within the hollow of its embracements a 

 very small fish of the same kinil, together with some piece or pieces of another fish, which 

 was judged to be of a Mackerel. And that small one ('tis like) was kept either for its 

 preservation, or for food to the greater ; but, being alive, it seems most Lkely it was there 

 lodged for safety, except it were accidentally drawn within the net, together with that piece 

 of fish, upon which it might be then feedinsr. 



" He told me further, that every one of those smallest parts had motion when it was 

 alive, and a tenacious i-trength ; but after it was dead, and extended to a flat round, it was 

 so brittle that it could not be handled without breaking some parts of it ; but by carefully 

 laying of it to dry, it was thereby somewhat hardened. 



" He added, that he had taken one of this kind of fish the latter end of this Summer, but 

 had left it with a friend at another port wdiere he had been. Meantime he promised to 

 procure it for me when he should sail thither again, if it were not broken or defaced. 

 I hope I shall engage him for the future to take better notice of what may be remarkable 

 about it. Upon occasion I have inquired of divers other Fishermen and Mariners, but can 

 meet witli none other that ever have taken any of these fishes. This Fisherman could not 

 tell me of any name it hath, and 'tis in all likelihood yet nameless, being not commonly 

 known as other Fisli are. But, until a fitter English name be found for it, why may it not 

 be called (in regard of what hath been before mentioned of it) a Basket-Fish, or a Net-Fish, 

 or a Purs-net-Fish 1 " 



