XXVI DIGESTIVE ORGANS 311 



the cardiac and pyloric divisions. The cardiac division 

 (Fig. 77, card, st), into which the gullet opens, is a spacious 

 sac, produced into five wide pouches, the cardiac cxca 

 (Fig. 76, A, Cd. cce ; Fig. 77), one of which extends into the 



/)ol. coec 



Fig. 77. — Digestive organs of a Starfish {AsUrias rubens), seen from 

 the dorsal aspect. 



The cardiac portion of the stomach (card, st) gives off five short 

 cardi:c creca or pouches and leads into the pyloric division (pyl. st), 

 from which five bifid pyloric ca;ca (pyl. ace) are continued to the ends 

 of the arms. The sliort intestine is recognisable by the presence of the 

 intestinal cceca (int. ace) and of the anus (an): madr, madreporite. 

 {From Parker and Haswell's Zoology, after Leuckart.) 



base of each arm. When the starfish is feeding it can evert 

 this cardiac sac over the shellfish or other object serving as 

 prey, and is thus able to devour animals too large to be 

 taken into the mouth : the everted stomach is afterwards 

 drawn back by means of special muscles. Dorsally the 



