276 EVENINGS AT THE MICROSCOPE. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



SEA-URCHINS AND SEA-CUCUMBERS. 



PEERING about among the rocks to-day at low-tide, I 

 found, on turning over a large stone, an object which, 

 though familiar enough to those who are conversant with 

 the sea and its treasures, would surprise a curious ob- 

 server fresh from the fields of Warwickshire. It is a ball, 

 perfectly circular, and nearly globular, -only that its under 

 part is a little flattened, hard and shelly in its exterior, 

 which is, however, densely clothed with a forest of shelly 

 spines, each one of which has a limited amount of mobility 

 on its own base. On attempting to remove it, I find that it 

 adheres to the stone with some firmness ; and that, on the 

 exercise of sufficient force, it comes away with a feeling as 

 if something were torn, and I find that a multitude of little 

 fleshy points are left on the stone. Having dropped my 

 prize into a glass collecting-jar of sea-water, I presently 

 see that it is slowly marching up the side, sprawling out 

 on every side a multitude of transparent hands, with which 

 it seems to feel its way, and which are evidently feet also, 

 for on these it crawls along at its own tortoise-pace. And 

 I now see that it is the knobbed ends of some of these feet 

 which were torn away by my forcible act of ejectment, and 

 left clinging to the stone. 



It was not the first time that I had seen the Sea-urchin 

 (Echinus miliaris) ; and I might have passed it by with a 

 feeling of satiated curiosity, had I not recollected our 

 evening's amusement. Oh, ho ! said I, what a fund of 

 microscopic entertainment is inclosed in this stone box ! 



