SI 8 ORDER III. TESTACEA. 



server, it appears like a lump of inanimate jelly, floating at 

 random on the surface of the sea, as if casually thrown 

 ashore at the departure of the tide : but on a more minute 

 inspection, the creature is seen shooting out its arms in 

 every direction, in order to seize worms, small shells, or 

 the spawn of fish, which it devours with great avidity. 



In summer, when the water of the sea is warmed by 

 Jie heat of the sun, the asteriae float on the surface, and 

 in the night emit a kind of luminous effluvia resembling 

 phosphorus. 



These animals have obtained from some naturalists the 

 appellation of sea-nettles, because they irritate the hands 

 of those who touch them. They are often found affixed 

 to rocks and to the largest sea-shells, as if they derived 

 their nourishment from that source. If injected into 

 spirits of wine, they will continue entire for many years ; 

 but, on being exposed to the air, they melt down, in a 

 few hours, into a limpid offensive liquid. There are a 

 variety of species, of different colours. Many of them 

 are natives of our own coasts. 



ORDER III TESTACEA. 



ANIMALS of this order have soft simple bodies, but are 

 covered with a coat of a calcareous nature. It includes 

 the whole tribe of shells, or testaceous animals properly 

 so called *, consisting of thirty-six genera, and nearly a 

 thousand species. The names of the genera of this beautiful 

 family are, CHITON, LEPAS,PHOLAS, MYA, SOLEN, TELLINA, 



CARDIUM, MACTRA, DONAX, VENUS, SPONDYLUS, CHAMA, 

 ARCA, OSTREA, ANOMIA, MYTILUS, PINNA, ARGONAUTA, 

 NAUTILUS, CONUS, CYPR.ZEA, BULLA, VOLUTA, BUCCINUM, 



* Crustaceous animals, as crabs and lobsters, belong to the class of 

 insects, and order of aptera, as mentioned in page 313. 



