"SCAVENGERS OF THE DEEP." 293 



powerful Crustacean, and allows the antennae to be pro- 

 truded some way from the mouth of its snare, and when 

 the Ophiwri, or other animals, come unwarily by, his foot- 

 claws are immediately darted forth, and the victim is 

 dragged forcibly down to be devoured at leisure. The 

 TJialassina Scorpionoides lives in holes, in a similar manner 

 on the dry land, but is a weak, inactive creature, and does 

 not seem possessed of the same ingenuity. 



Among the numerous interesting marine forms of 

 organic life to be met with among the Islands of the 

 Bashee Group, not the least worthy of note are those 

 Echinodermatous animals, the Opkiuri, Asteriades, Holo- 

 thurice, and Echini. Eccentric in appearance, disgusting 

 in their habits, they crawl languidly at the bottom of the 

 sea, always intent on procuring food, consuming vora- 

 ciously whatever comes in their way, so that they have 

 appropriately been termed the " Scavengers of the deep." 

 The Opkiuri affect the shallow weedy sands, which the 

 water never leaves perfectly dry. They are fond of 

 concealing themselves under flat stones, creeping into the 

 anfractuosities of Corallines, or wrapping their bodies in 

 the Algae that lie around them. They sometimes bury 

 their central discs in the semi-fluid sand, gently vibrating 

 their snake-like arms, and protruding their tubular feet, 

 which latter seem to serve them also as breathing organs. 

 When pursued by an enemy, they move with considerable 

 dispatch, dragging their bodies sideways, by seizing upon 

 the irregularities of the ground with their long, flexible 

 brachia. 



A superb Asterias, upwards of a foot in diameter, 

 beautifully marked with crimson, and covered with small 



