\STERIA- 109 



animal is itul 'aordinary ; tin- number, complexity. diveiMty. and 



peculiarity of its parts are uch as to render it vain attempting t 

 them in detail ; neither could the form In- n ndered more explicit, nor 

 itfl nature be letter understood, than by tin- NpNHBtetfOM iriven here. 

 aided by brief description. Nothing short of actual inspection of the 

 living subject can satisfy the ad mi rim: and inquisitive contemplate 

 the man cllous works of the Creator. 



Here the breadth of the disc is proportionally greater, and its form 

 more characteri-tic than in any of the precedini: species. Thus the rays 

 are shorter ; nor does the general aspect of the whole animal bear much 

 conformity with that of the others. Everything denotes a tendency to 

 transition. Plan- XXIV., fig. 1. 



Specimens are of circular shape, and provided with from eleven to 

 fourteen- rays. Among many obtained at diflcrent times, the majority 

 had thirteen, which seems about the proper complement. 



Larger specimens expand from eight to ten inches between the tip* 

 of the opposite rays. The whole upper surface Is covered with tufts like 

 the short bristles of a small hair pencil, advancing in regular lines along 

 the sides of the rays. Another kind of pure white tufts stands across the 

 rays, erect, like the teeth of a comb. Plate XXIV. fig. 2 : Portion of 

 the skin of a different specimen, enlarged. The whole under surface, 

 especially towards the centre, is of very remarkable structure. One part 

 is sufficiently obvious, being the wonted channel, with a double row of 

 suckers traversing each ray ; and eight or ten suckers, proportionally 

 longer, more flexible and active at the end of the rays, nit her appearing, 

 by their stretching and searching around, to discharge a tentacular office. 

 Their -tructure is also somewhat diflerent. whence stricter attention be- 

 stowed on them might discover whether they have truly any peculiar 

 province. The upper surface of the animal is wholly red ; sometimes 

 very fine scarlet, spotted white, from the presence of numerous subordi- 

 nate organs. Plate XXFV. fig. 1. Besides a profusion of tufts, infinite 

 low small white prominences arise among them from the skin. In addi- 

 tion to all these are many whitish or yellowish tubular orifices, percep- 

 tible by the microscope, also on the surface of the disc. 



