is among crustaceans perhaps second only to the 

 sea-spider in eldritch anomalism of form. In an- 

 other chapter I shall give ample space to this curi- 

 ous beast, so for the present it may be dismissed 

 without further reference other than that my de- 

 sire to obtain it was because of an inglorious and 

 unscientific wish for material to furnish a winter 

 night's diversion with a new low-power binocular 

 I had just acquired. But the finding of the serpent- 

 star overshadowed in importance, by far, my fail- 

 ure in the pursuit of Caprellas; for, notwithstand- 

 ing my failure, skeleton-shrimps are nevertheless 

 comparatively common, while serpent-stars, al- 

 though not exactly rare, surely are the shyest as 

 well as the most secretive creatures of the sea. 



When I found it, the last batch of seaweed in 

 the tub had been placed in a large photographic 

 tray filled with water and was rapidly, but care- 

 fully, being scrutinized under the hand-lens . . . 

 There it was — it was not yet full-grown, a penny 

 would easily cover it — its five snake-like arms 

 starting to squirm vigorously as my glass remained 

 hovering over it. Presently it slipped around the 

 weed and swam across the tray. In a trice I reached 

 for a pair of light forceps and was after it. Seizing 



[49] 



