COMMON OBJECTS OF THE SHORE. 307 



It lives in various depths of water, and the animal, 

 like the rest of its tribe, has a number of sharp and 

 hard teeth, and feeds exclusively on animal prey. 

 It is in some countries much used as food, and 

 resembles in flavour the species known as the 

 Esculent Sea-urchin. The people of uncultivated 

 regions, who live near the shores, consume many 

 of the sea-eggs, and the ancients regarded them as 

 delicacies, eating them either raw, or dressed in 

 various ways. The sea-gulls feed on many of the 

 smaller species, as the Green-pea Urchin, breaking 

 the shells with their strong beaks, and sucking out 

 the animal within. 



This green-pea urchin (EcJiinocyamus pusillus), 

 is a frequent species on the shore, and is the 

 smallest of the sea-eggs. When the animal is 



living, the shell is of a bright green colour, just of 

 that brilliant powdery nature which we find on 

 the shelly cases which shield the gauzy wings of 

 some of our brilliant beetles. When the animal 

 dies, however, this gay colour is all gone, and the 

 shell is of a dingy white tint. It is very common 

 among sand, and its spines are very short and 

 crowded. 



x 2 



