66 NATURAL HISTORY OF OUR SHORES 



arms are flat, and regularly tapered to a point. The upper 

 surface is closely set, pavement-like, with tubercles of small 

 spines, and the rays are bordered with a fringe of long and 

 stouter ones. Its colour is usually an olive-green or olive- 

 brown. Full-grown specimens measure about twenty-six 

 inches across. It is difficult to obtain full-grown specimens 

 entire, as they are only obtainable by dredge or trawl, and, 

 being very fragile, usually fall to pieces in being captured. 

 Only by shore hunting in suitable localities soft shelly 

 gravel at extreme low-tide limits can sound specimens be 

 obtained, and these, as far as I have experienced, are never 

 full-grown ones. 



Luida fragillissima is another very beautiful British 

 form that often grows to very large size. It occurs in the 

 same localities as the last, and presents the same difficulties, 

 for, as its specific name states, it also is fragile. The number 

 of rays in Luida is variable, but usually seven. 



Solaster papposa is a striking and beautiful star- fish. 

 It is popularly known as the " Sun Star." It has usually 

 twelve rays, forming a circle. Full-grown specimens 

 measure about seven inches across. The colour is brick- 

 red and white, or brick-red and yellow, arranged in con- 

 centric bands around the circle formed by the arms. It 

 is shown in Fig. 25. One is photographed from the under 

 side to show the ambulacral grooves. 



Cribella oculata, or Cribella violacea, is a tine British star. 

 It is five-rayed, and the rays or arms are rounded. It has 

 no projecting spines, but is closely set with firm-knobbed 

 ones, giving it a rigid, stony feel. It measures about four 

 inches across. Its colour is a beautiful reddish purple on 

 the upper surface, yellow beneath. It lives on rocky 

 shores, and often occurs, where there is fucus, etc., at a 

 comparatively high situation in tide-level. 



I am not taking the star-fishes in their proper order, 

 according to the text-books, but as they come to mind, 



