TIIK SAM) DOI.I. AH. s::i 



the imintli below; ami many pedicellate. The oesophagus is small and tin- stoniarh and intestine 

 somewhat lengthened and curved upon it sol I'. Tin- sexes among Sea I'lchins an- distinct, the 



different individuals containing cither ovaries or spermai ics only. These arc live in n IMT. ami 



resemble those ..f tin- Star-Hsu. This iortioii of tin- Sea I'rcliins (the ovaries) arc the most 

 important in an economic point of view, the ovaries alone In-ing eaten. 



The common or -riven Sea Urchin (StroHgylwntrotux ilrolxtfhifiixix) has a very \\ide range, 

 and is very abm.dant n|ioii our northern const. It extends from New Jersey to the May of 



Fnndy. Imt .south and \vc.st of the eastern part of Long Island Sound it is raiv. Its Itathy trieal 



range is from low water mark to depths of over four hundred fathoms. Outside of the I'nited 

 States, it ranges from Nova Scot in to the Arctic Ocean; from Spifzbcrgen to (ireat Britain; from 

 I'.ering Strait to the Gulf of Georgia; and along Eastern Siln-ria to Okhotsk Sea. and De 

 Castries' Kay. This species "feeds partly on diatoms and other .small alga-, etc., which it cutsfrom 

 the rocks with the sharp points of its teeth, and it is also fouil of dead fishes, which arc scon 

 devoured, lioncs and all. In return it is swallowed whole, in large quantities. by the wolf li>h 

 and other large lishes." The green Sea Urchin is not now eaten U]KII our eastern coast, and 

 most Americans would probably regard its use as food with much repugnance, but it was formerly 



eaten l>y s e of the native east coast Indian tribes, and is still favorably regarded by the 



Alaskans. Mr. Henry Elliott states that at Saint Paul's Island the villagers, principally Aleuts, 

 search for it at low tide, under the shelter of the bowlders, which stand in the tide pools, on tin- 

 rocky shores, during nearly all seasons. Usually the shells are broken, the ovaries removed and 

 spread out like raw oysters on a plate, and eaten with salt, IK>PIMT, and vinegar. The old women. 

 called "barbies," despise these condiments, however, and suck the Sea Urchins as small boys do 

 eggs. The native Alaskan name for this Sea Urchin is " Kepkie." 



The common west coast Sea Urchin (Strnntfyloeenlrotu fraiiciHcanun) inhabits the coasts of 

 Southern Alaska, British Columbia, and the United States, as far south as San Diego, California. 

 It attains a much larger size than the green Sea Urchin, and is used as food in some localities. 

 In Southern Kurope a related species, Ntrnnyi/loft-ntrotitg liriiJus, in much esteemed as food. 



The "Sand Dollar," or "Flat Sea Urchin" (Ecliinarachniu* parma), of the New Kngland coast 

 diners so much from the. Green Sea Urchin in appearance that it would scarcely appear to belong 

 to the same group of animals, from a superficial examination. Its principal points of dinYrcnei- 

 are its extremely compressed form and very small spines, which are nearly uniform over the 

 entire body. The lower side is perfectly flat, and the upper but hlightly convex. Its only 

 Importance from an economic standpoint arises from the fact that it furnishes an indelible ink, 

 which might possibly be utilized in the arts, as it now is to a slight extent by the tishcrmcn of 

 some parts of the coast. 



The Sand Dollar is commonly met with on sandy shores, but is seldom found living -except 

 at extreme low water of .spring titles, when it may sometimes be tound on Hats or bars of line sili 

 ceous sand in great numbers, buried just beneath the surface, or even partially exposed. It creeps 

 along beneath the sand with a slow gliding motion, by means of the myriads of minute extensile 

 suckers with which it is furnished. It is far more abundant on sandy bottoms at various depths 

 oft' shore. It has a very wide range, for it is found all the way from New Jersey to Labrador, and 

 also on the North 1'aeitic coast; and in depth it ranges from low-water mark to four hundred and 

 thirty fathoms, off Saint George's Bank, where it was dredged l>\ Me^r-. Smith and llai-ci. 

 When living its color is usually a rich purplish-brown, but it soon turns green when taken from 

 the water. It gives a dark green or blackish color to alcohol, which stains very injuriously an> 

 other specimens put in. with it. The fishermen on the coast of Maine and New Brunswick some- 



