" EYES " AND " EYELIDS" OF THE STAR-FISH. 211 



ments were seen escaping. In despair I grasped the 

 largest, and brought up the extremity of an arm with 

 its terminating eye, the spinous eyelid of which 

 opened and closed with something exceedingly like a 

 wink of derision^"." 



We are reminded by the concluding sentence of 

 the preceding facetious quotation, that, in order to 

 explain the allusion made by our late lamented friend 

 to the "terminating eye and spinous eyelid" of the 

 Star-fish, it will be necessary to say a few words con- 

 cerning the senses of these extraordinarily gifted 

 creatures. That they do perceive what is going on 

 in the world around them, at least in so far as their 

 own business is concerned, there cannot exist a doubt ; 

 nay, that their perceptions are acute and rapid, any 

 one who has witnessed the facility with which they 

 find and devour a bait, or a morsel of food, will 

 readily allow ; but how they are enabled to effect this 

 is by no means so easily explained. That it must be 

 by some sense analogous either to smell or vision, 

 seems pretty evident ; but where we are to look for 

 their noses or eyes is a problem not of very easy solu- 

 tion. In many species, however, there are found, 

 situated at the extremity of each ray, certain bright 

 red spots, very conspicuous in the living animal, 

 around which the terminal spines cluster, as though 

 for their protection. These red spots are by many 

 eminent naturalists regarded as the eyes of the Star- 

 fish, and the surrounding spines constitute the eye- 

 lid above alluded to. How far they are or are not 

 instruments of vision, is a matter still open to dispute, 

 and a question well worthy of solution by any of our 

 * Forbes, British Star-fishes. 



