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i8me. GENRE. Le HERISSON DE MER. Pi. XI. 



CARACTERE DU GENRE. 



Le corps a peu pres rond, eft couvert d'une incruftation offcufe, le plus 

 fouvent heriffee d'e'pines mouvantes. 



THIS genus is divided into 

 two families.' 

 * The regular, with the anus 

 vertical 



*"* The irregular; the aperture 

 of the anus being underneath, as is 

 the mouth. 



Their ftrudlure is moft admira- 

 ble, being furniihed with fcaly 

 prickles of different lengths and 

 degrees of hardnefs, which are as 

 fo many feet, ferving to the pro- 

 greffive motion of the animal; 

 fome have feet to the number of 

 2000, with which they move in 

 every diredionj between the feet 

 iflue 12 or 1500 fmall tentacula, 

 the ufe of which feems to be that 

 of reconnoitring the ground -, and 

 they are like to tackling, by the 

 help of which they caft anchor 

 during the violence of a tempeft. 

 As foon as thefe animals are feen 

 to plunge, and grapple at the 

 bottom of the water, there is a cer- 

 tainty of foul weather to come. 

 The head of thefe animals is placed 



CE genre fe divife en deux fa- 

 milies. 



* Les reguliers dont I'anus eft 

 vertical. 



** Les irreguliers, ayant I'ouver- 

 ture de I'anus en dellous ainfi que 

 la bouche. 



Leur ftrudure eft des plus ad- 

 mirables. Garnis de piquans 

 ecailleux plus ou moins grands et 

 durs, ce font autant de jambes 

 mobiles qui fervent dans le mouve- 

 mentprogreffif del'animal. Quel- 

 ques uns ont jufqu'a 2000 jambes. 

 lis marchent en tous fens. Entre 

 ces jambes fortent 12 ou 1500 pe- 

 tits tatoirs, dont I'ufage paroit 

 deftine a reconnoitre le terrain. 

 Ce font autant de cordages a I'aide 

 defquels ils fe mettent al'ancre dans 

 le fort de la tempete. Des qu'on 

 voit ces animaux fe plonger a la 

 mer, s'ancrer, on eft fur qu'il 

 viendra du gros terns. La tete de 

 ces animaux eft placee a I'ouver- 

 ture. Elle eft armee de petites 

 dents. A Marfeilles on vend les 



A a at 



