where still others, the ophiurans, to which our 

 serpent-star belongs, became swimmers and there- 

 fore were able to retreat in time of storm or other 

 stress. The crinoids, of course — the sea-lilies, those 

 graceful faunal flowers of the deep sea — still re- 

 main attached in the probable birthplace of the 

 group. 



Ill 



In a few days following the discovery of the 

 larvae in the dark-room tank, as I have recorded in 

 Chapter II, I was also fortunate in securing some 

 freshly spawned eggs. By keeping these in small 

 flat-bottomed, shallow, glass-covered dishes, and 

 changing the water each day, I had reasonable 

 expectations of keeping enough of them alive until 

 they passed through the complete metamorphosis 

 by which they attain the adult form. Further to 

 facilitate matters, I distributed their numbers 

 among enough containers to avoid over-crowding; 

 in each vessel the eggs were so strewn that they 

 were amply separated as they rested on the bottom. 

 They were kept on the bench along the windows, 

 but not in the direct light of the sun. I also hoped, 

 besides seeing for myself and for the first time the 



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