ORDER I. PEDICELLATA.—THE CROSS-FISH. 347 
A. Rubens. —The Cross-fish. This species, according to Forbes, is a 
sworn enemy to oysters; and, as it is frequently found with one or more of 
its rays broken off, the fishermen fancy that it loses them in consequence 
of its oyster-hunting propensities; that it insinuates an arm into the incau- 
tious oyster’s gape, with the intent of whipping out its prey, but that some- 
times the apathetic mollusk proves more than a match for its radiate enemy, 
and, closing on him, holds him fast by the proffered finger; whereupon the 
Cross-fish, preferring amputation and freedom to captivity and dying of an 
oyster, like some defeated warrior, flings his arms away, glad to purchase 
the safety of the remaining whole by the reparable loss of a part, as it has 
the power of reproducing the broken rays. 
“There is, however, reason to think that the Cross-fish destroys his prey 
in avery different manner from that just narrated; for star-fishes are not 
unfrequently found feeding on shell-fish, infolding their prey within their 
arms, and seeming to suck it out of its shell with their mouths, pouting out 
the lobes of the stomach, which they are able to project in the manner of a 
proboscis. Possibly the stomach secretes an acrid and poisonous fluid, 
which, by paralyzing the shell-fish, opens the way to its soft and fleshy 
parts.” 
Some of the Cross-fishes are distinguished from all others by having four 
rows of suckers in each of Te avenues which groove the under surface of 
their rounded rays. In consequence of the great number of these singular 
organs, the under surface of a living Cross-fish presents a sight truly curious 
and wonderful. Hundreds of worm-like suckers, extending and contract- 
ing, coiling and feeling about, each apparently acting independently of the 
others, give the idea rather of an assemblage of polypi than of essential 
parts of one animal. They are sensitive in the extreme, for, if we touch 
one of those singular tubes when outstretched, all those in its neighborhood 
are thrown into a state of agitation; and when it shrinks from our touch, 
changing from a lengthy fibre to a little shrunk tubercle, some of its neigh- 
bors, as if partaking in its fears, contract themselves in like manner. 
A. Rosacea. — The Rosy-feather Star. This singular species is now the 
only representative of the Lily Stars which adorned the bottom of the 
primeval seas. It has five large articulated rays, often divided into two 
or three branches, and both rays and disk are furnished with articulated 
threads. 
This beautiful little creature is found in all northern seas. In swimming, 
the movements of its arms exactly resemble the alternating stroke given 
by the medusa to the liquid element, and have the same effect, causing the 
animal to raise itself from the bottom, and to advance back foremost, even 
more rapidly than the medusa. When dying, either in fresh water or in 
