SEA STARS AND STARFISHES. 



51 



the centre of the body approaches the aperture, ray 

 after ray is allowed to trail behind, until one ray is in 

 front, and the four others are pressed closely together 

 behind it. 



The mention of the am- 

 bulacral plates brings us to 

 the hard structures of the 

 body. The whole under 

 surface of the body is made 

 up of a series of shelly 



Fig 3. STARFISH REPRODUCING MISSING PORTIONS. 



plates, largest at the base of the ray, and diminishing 

 gradually in size to the tip. Beside these plates there 

 are successive rows of shelly joints arranged in regular 

 order, and so jointed to the ambulacral plates as to 



