48 
On the under surfaces of our rocks will be found plenty of a 
white or red finger-like, unattractive thing. Its common English 
names are not elegant, but its grand title is rather pretty, Aleyo- 
nium digitatum. It is either simple or else branched so as to 
resemble fingers, and to earn the name of dead man’s fingers. In 
truth, though name and appearance may be both forbidding, the 
Alcyonium is a most interesting thing. It is, indeed, a polypidom 
—the abode of many polypes which may be seen very readily. 
Alcyonium brings us very near the true coral, from which it differs 
in being leathery instead of hard and chalky. The term coral is 
widely applied to a good many structures built up by polypes and 
differmg greatly in shape and plan. Books tell us of a West Indian 
coral called sea fern, on account of its feathery lace-like appearance, 
which is found, after certain treatment, to be a good material for 
ladies’ hats. The sea fern, which is a floating coral, shaped much 
like a fern, ig never found here, but it claims mention because it is 
described in many books, as one of the most curious of marine 
productions. For information about corals we must look at the 
subject at our homes. We may easily get specimens of Aleyonium 
and place them in sea water to see the polype put out their bodies 
and extend their eight pointed tentacles. We must now leave the 
hollow-bodied animals and step up to the spiny skinned Echinoder- 
mata, Here we introduce ourselves to the well-known Hchinus 
or sea-urchin, and the still more familiar star fish. Some plants 
we know by misleading names, but none of them are so wide of the 
mark as the common names of some marine animals. Why should 
we talk of star fish and call a crab a shell fish? The sea urchin is 
unfortunately, not a ‘‘common object” with us, so we may not 
stop to exa:.ine either the animal itself or its prickly house. Will 
you read for yourselves how the spires are connected with the shell 
by a ball and socket jomt—the most perfect kind—and how the 
shell increases in size? 
The common star fish abounds on our rocky coast chiefly at 
extreme low water mark. It is one of a large family formed on the 
same plan, but varying greatly in size, and in the length of the 
arms, which are often branched. All members of the family have 
the habit of throwing off some of their arms, and one fellow (called 
a Lindia), when terrified, is apt to jerk himself into many pieces. 
What can we make out of a sluggish star fish ? Let us see. The 
upper surface is rough and tough; the arms or rays are simple, and 
usually five in number, and at the end of each is an organ that does 
duty as an eye. On the under surface the mouth is situated in the 
centre, and there are rows of openings from which project the feet 
or suckers as they might be called. It is by means of these that 
the animal takes its walks abroad. The starfish is higher in 
