1 



Button Oysters. 



The oyster has many marine enemies. 



Enemies of The sea . urchill) for i nsta nce, feeds on it. 



the Oyster. The five . finger is a deadly foe. It 

 clutches the oyster in its long lingers, and holds on some- 

 times for days, till the mollusc opens, when the five-linger 

 instantly injects what is supposed to be a stupefying 

 liquid, followed by the creature's stomach, which shoots, 

 into the open shells and devours the oyster. The five- 

 finger, or common star-fish, must be distinguished from the 

 multi-rayed star-fish or sun star-fish, which is very different 

 on close inspection and much larger, and has twelve rays- 

 usually. The Museum at Whitstable contains a perfect 

 star-fish with eleven ravs. I have heard that the sun 



