328 IN LOWER FLORIDA WILDS 



urans differ from the true starfishes by having 

 a central disk from which radiate five slender 

 arms which may or may not be branched. The 

 species are mostly small but some of the specimens 

 we dredged had the amazing length from tip to tip 

 of opposite arms of two and a half feet! One 

 might easily fancy them the hubs and spokes of 

 Neptune's chariot wheels. 



We were all delighted over these wonderful 

 things, and Mr. Henderson declared this Ophiuran 

 was new to science. He said, "Won't Professor 

 Clark" (the echinoderm expert at the Smithsonian) 

 "be astonished over this? He'll surely have a fit 

 when he sees them ! " In Washington H. hastened 

 at once to Clark and proudly exhibited the 

 trophies, undoubtedly new and the largest in 

 the world. Clark had no fit at all; he didn't even 

 fall off his chair; in fact, he seemed but mildly 

 interested. 



Finally Clark observed quietly: "Your speci- 

 mens are quite interesting, but we have others 

 from the Pacific which measure about ten feet 

 across!" It is related that H. required restora- 

 tives. 



All the animals which came up alive appeared 



