300 COMMON OBJECTS OF THE SHORE. 



These and some others, with the exception of 

 the Comatula, belong to the true star-fishes, but the 

 Brittle-stars and the Sand- stars are placed in the 

 family termed by Professor Forbes Ophiuridce. 

 These are the star -fishes which are most numerous 

 in our seas. Not that the species are many in 

 number, there being twelve only, but that the in- 

 dividuals are very plentiful. Our engraving re- 

 presents one of them, often thrown by the wave on 

 the shore, and on some coasts, as at Dovor, it is 

 one of the most frequent species. The common 

 brittle star (Ophiocoma rosula) is a more elegant 



species than any other of the very general star- 

 fishes. Brittle, indeed, it is, not only breaking up 

 by a touch from its natural fragility, but evidently 

 possessing the power of dismembering itself at its 

 will. " Touch it,' 5 says Professor Forbes, " it flings 

 away an arm : hold it, and in a moment not an 

 arm remains attached to the body." Its disc is 

 often of a dim rose-colour, with grey scales, some- 



