THE BRITTLE STARFISH 109 



as much as eight or ten inches across. In fact, 

 it looks very much like a big sunflower. Gener- 

 ally it is bright scarlet in colour, but just now 

 and then one finds a sun starfish with a violet 

 tinge; and sometimes, while the middle part 

 of the body is vermilion red, the rays are pale 

 rose-colour, or even pink. 



Like most of the starfishes, this animal has 

 a very curious way of protecting its eggs for 

 some little time after they are laid. It heaps 

 them all up together into a pile, and then bends 

 its rays downwards in such a way that it stands 

 upon their tips, looking just like a little table 

 with twelve very stout legs ! It turns itself into 

 a sort of cage, in fact, with the eggs inside 

 it, and so guards them carefully until they 

 hatch. 



PLATE XXXVII 

 THE BRITTLE STARFISH 



The Brittle Starfish is certainly the very oddest 

 of all odd creatures, for it not only grows 

 new rays if the old ones should be torn off, but 

 actually breaks itself into pieces if it is startled 

 or alarmed! And it is such a timid animal that 

 a slight touch, or even a shadow suddenly falling 

 upon it, will alarm it! Then it gives a kind 

 of shudder, and shatters itself into little bits, 



