ITS HABITS. 57 



figure, but was much more beautiful than I had sup- 

 posed, even from that representation. It was marked 

 all over with alternate bands or patches of crimson 

 and yellow, not very regularly ; the latter colour 

 studded with red dots. The larger dorsal filaments 

 were thirty, the smaller, I think only two or three. 

 The pinnae were forty (not 34) on each side of 

 each arm. I saw the hooked claws of the larger fila- 

 ments, but could not make out the points of the 

 pinnae. 



In captivity the Feather-star sits upon the frond 

 of a Sea-weed, or on a projecting angle of rock, which 

 it grasps very firmly with its clawed filaments ; so firmly 

 that it is difficult to tear it from its hold. When 

 violence is used, it catches hold of its support or any 

 other object within reach, with the tips of its aims, 

 which it hooks down for the purpose, and with its 

 pinnae, so that it seems furnished with so many claws, 

 the hard stony nature of which is revealed by the 

 creaking, scratching noise they make as they are 

 forced from any hold, as if they were made of glass. 

 I was surprised to observe that several of the arms 

 were unsymmetrically short; and examining these 

 with a lens, saw distinctly that each had been broken 

 ofi" and was renewed; the new part agreeing in struc- 

 ture and colour with the rest, but the joints were much 

 less in diameter; and this difference was strongly 

 marked at the point of union, the first of the new 

 joints being not more than one-third as wide as its 

 predecessor. The appearance much reminded me of 

 a Lizard renewing its tail. 



In sitting, the Feather- star bends its arms with a 



