Popular SHrtumari) at ftiumatctt $aturc. 211 



even been classed as such. At one extremity 

 of the range, the Echinodennata remind us 

 of polypes creatures of inferior organiza- 

 tion ; at the other extremity, they approach 

 the annulose animals, whose structure is of 

 a higher grade. Those occupying the centre 

 of the group may be regarded, therefore, as 

 the types or representatives of the class." 

 There is a very fine collection of them in the 

 British Museum. Prof. E. Forbes has de- 

 scribed and figured the British species in his 

 "British Star-fishes." [See ASTEKIAS ; ECHI- 

 uus ; ENCKINITE ; HOLOTHUUIA ; OPHIU- 



ECHIKOPS. A singular genus of the 

 Shrew tribe, allied to the Tenrec, and a 

 native of Madagascar and the Mauritius : one 

 species, E. Telfairii, is known. 



ECHINUS. The generic name of the 

 SEA-URCHINS, or SKA-EGGS, which constitute 

 the type of the class Echinodermata, or cer- 

 tain invertebrate animals, which have a 

 crustaceous or coriaceous integument, most 

 commonly armed with tubercles or spines. 

 They are all inhabitants of the sea ; and 

 many of them have often been found in a 

 fossil state. The spines are connected with 

 the outer skin by very strong ligaments, and 

 are the instruments of motion. They are 

 generally armed with five sharp teeth ; and 

 the pores are furnished with a retractile ten- 

 tacle or feeler to each, by which the animal 

 affixes itself to any object, and stops its mo- 

 tion. The species most esteemed as an escu- 

 lent, and thence denominated Echinus escu- 

 lenttts, is subglobular ; with ten avenues of 



EDIBI.E SKA URCHIN. 

 (BOHIND8 ESOULENrOR.) 



pores, the spaces between covered with small 

 tubercles supporting the spines ; body red- 

 dish or yellowish ; spines short, of a violet 

 colour ; losing their colour and falling off 

 the dead animal ; pores in about three rows ; 

 tubercles surrounded with a circle of less 

 ones ; vent closed with a coriaceous mem- 

 brane covered with spines. Echini of this 

 sort constitute no small part of the food of 

 the poor in many countries, and some species 

 are reckoned excellent. In ancient times 

 they were accounted very delicious, being 

 usually dressed with vinegar, honied wine, 

 parsley, and mint ; it is recorded that they 

 composed the principal dish at the famous 

 supper of Lentulus, when he was made 

 Flamen Martialis, or Priest of Mars. Our 

 cut exhibits one half of the surface denuded 

 of its spines to show their mode of insertion. 

 Fossil Echinit.ke, in almost incredible num- 



bers, are to be traced through all the forma- 

 tions, from the epoch of the transition series 

 to the present time ; many of them being 

 found in our own chalky or flinty soils. The 

 Echinus vulgaris, so perpetually found in a 

 fossil state, is not now traced in a living state : 

 in make it is orbicular ; with ten avenues, 

 two of them always near each other. 



EDENTATA. The name given to an 

 order of quadrupeds, which although it in- 

 cludes many animals differing from each 

 other widely in habits, and also in certain 

 points of structure, yet agree in so many es- 

 sential characters, and are connected to- 

 gether by so many intermediate links, as to 

 require being associated in the same group. 

 They all agree in the absence of teeth in the 

 front of the jaws ; all resemble each other in 

 the great claws which encompass the ends of 

 their toes ; and they are all distinguished by a 

 certain slowness, or want of activity, ob- 

 j viously arising from the peculiar organiza- 

 I tion of their limbs. The armour-clad, in- 

 ' sectivorous Armadillos, of South America j 

 I the tree-inhabiting Sloths, and hairy tooth- 

 less Ant-eaters, of the same continent ; the 

 ! gigantic Megatherium, which formerly in- 

 habited it ; and the Mania, whose lizard-like 

 body, defended by an impenetrable coat of 

 I mail, excites our wonder all belong to the 

 | order EDENTATA ; which constitute the last 

 i group of unguiculatcd animals, and are sc- , 



i' verally described in the course of this work, j 

 EEL. (.AnguiUa.) The Eel, which in a 

 , natural arrangement of the animal world 

 I may be considered as in some degree con- 

 necting the fish and serpent tribes, is a 

 native of almost all the waters of the ancient 

 continent, frequenting not only rivers but 

 stagnant waters ; aud occasionally salt 

 marshes and lakes. Its general appear- 

 ance is so well known, and so unlike most 

 other fishes, as to require but a slight 

 description : we should observe, however, 

 that though the external form of the body 

 resembles the snake, the important internal 

 organs, and the character of the skeleton, are 

 decidedly different. The Eel is distinguished 

 by its uniform colours, but more particularly 

 by the peculiar elongation of the lower jaw, 

 which advances to some distance beyond the 



upper : the head is small and pointed ; the 

 eyes are small, round, and covered by a trans- 

 parent skin, united with the common in- 

 tegument of the body ; the mouth is small, 

 and both jaws and palate are beset with 

 several rows of small sharp teeth : the ori- 

 fices of the gills are very small, of a lunated 

 shape, and are seated close to the pectoral 

 fins, which are small, and of an ovate shape : 



