A COMMON STARFISH 

 Starfish wander continually among the waving seaweeds of rocks and wharves in search of delectable sea mussels 

 and other mollusks. They breathe the air from the water through multitudes of fingerlike tentacles (seen in the 

 photograph everywhere between the white spines), which are protected by minute snapping jaws (showing as 

 white dots among the tentacles I. In early September the sand at the waters edge is ornamented with the 

 dark symmetrical forms of young stars one-half inch across ( tlie large adult Asterias forbeni may 

 twelve to fifteen inches) 



measure 



373 



