ASTERIAS. 107 



Under the microscope the outline of the tufts tended to cylindrical : 

 and each was ajsparently composed of fourteen or sixteen cylinders, which 

 are not smooth. The short cyhudrical tubes appeared to be soft and 

 fleshy. In some places they were interspersed irregularly with the tufts, 

 and in other places, one tube stood regularly amidst four tufts. The 

 madreporiform tubercle, was situated amidst four tufts. An enlarged 

 view of it is presented by fig. 4, where other tufts are also seen ; and a 

 portion magnified is shewn fig. 5. 



Here the ocular speck at the extremity of the ray is dark reddish- 

 brown. It is neither compact nor uniform under the higher microscopi- 

 cal powers, but apparently more solid towards the middle, while parts of 

 the circumference consist of minute specks, fig. 3. 



On March 27. I found forty or fifty ova floating near the surface of 

 the water of a vessel containing a specimen of between seven or eight 

 inches diameter, which had been a week in my possession. These ova 

 were of a fine reddish-orange colour, solid and consistent, nearly globu- 

 lar, but some beginning to relax in form. On transferring the specimen 

 to another vessel, a few more ova were produced, and here thirty or 

 forty others escaped on the following day : — Fig. 6, ova ; fig. 7, group 

 enlarged. 



Some had a slight depression in the centre, like an orange, and the 

 figure of others tended to ovoidal. All seemed fresh, smooth, and they 

 were of vivid colour. 



Selecting a number, I consigned them to five different vessels. But 

 I was disappointed of the progeny, as none proved prolific. 



This animal sometimes feeds readily. TVTien doing so mussel is con- 

 sumed ; however, many refuse food entirely. A fine specimen, expand- 

 ing just about two inches, of beautiful reddish-orange colour above, and 

 yellowish below, fed readily on the common lepas when detached from 

 its site. The Star-fish, involving the prey among its limbs, extracted 

 the contents of the shell. — Plate XIX., figs. 7, 8. 



The Asterias endeca has not been common in any place that I have 

 visited ; nor has it survived long in confinement. 



The specimen, Plate XXII., was originally very weak, but from 



