HOMES UNDER THE SEA. 

 CHAPTER IV. 



WHAT ARE THE STARFISHES ? 



WE may now ask ourselves a few natural questions. 

 What are the Starfishes ; what is their place in 

 zoology, and what is their life history ? 



In the first place they form one of the two sections 

 of a great and important group of animals which are 

 scientifically termed Echinodermata, i.e. Hedgehog- 

 skinned, and which comprise the Starfishes and Sea 

 Urchins. 



This group appears at first sight to be completely 

 isolated, and to have no relationship to beings of evi- 

 dently lower organization on the one side, and of higher 

 organization on the other. Yet, when closely examined, 

 there is perhaps no group which shows more clearly its 



