78 BLITEFIELDS. 



by regular and close-set rings of polished, pointed 

 spiculae, overlapping each other, most elaborate in 

 their finish. The length and slenderness of the 

 spines, combined with their brittleness, rendered it 

 difficult to handle the animals ; especially as, after 

 they were removed from the water, they kept agitat- 

 ing these organs briskly, and each spine with a move- 

 ment independent of the other spines. The sight of 

 so many long needle-like points moving irregularly 

 together, some oscillating to and fro, and others 

 partially revolving on the curious ball and socket 

 joints at the base, had a very singular appearance. 

 Several, however, in spite of every precaution, were 

 broken in removing the animals from the sea into a 

 basket, and in taking them out at home. 



A quarter of an hour's immersion in fresh water 

 was sufficient to deprive them of life, and the soft 

 viscera were easily removed by slightly enlarging the 

 anal orifice in the centre of the upper surface. But 

 now the problem was how to dry them, so that they 

 might retain somewhat of their original beauty. For 

 the spines, no longer sustained by muscular power, 

 were now all fallen flat, and were lying across one 

 another in confusion ; and if the specimens were put 

 to dry mouth downward, of course the spines would 

 dry in such unnatural positions ; and thus the whole 

 of the elegance arising from their regular divergence 

 would be lost. On the other hand, if they were set 

 to rest in an inverted position, the weight would 

 break the points of the spines, or distort them worse. 

 I at first attempted to lay them, mouth upward, on 

 two or three threads stretched across a box, but 



