236 STRUCTURE AND 



points, in the process of formation, (I had almost 

 said, of crystallizatiotij have shot through and among 

 each other, so that it would he almost impossible to 

 extract one from any point without either breaking 

 off its rays, or tearing away a considerable portion of 

 the whole surface. The rays shoot in the same plane, 

 and in that plane the stars lie, not quite at random, 

 as to their direction ; for the great majority have one 

 point directed lengthwise from the mouth of the tube 

 towards the base. There are not wanting however 

 many, which point in the opposite direction ; and 

 several at intermediate angles. Of course, it requires 

 but little divergence from the first named direction to 

 produce the second ; still, however, the prevalent 

 order appears to be this. 



I cannot trace any fibrous or gelatinous or granular 

 matter in which the spiculse are set ; but beneath the 

 layer formed by their interlacing points, there is a 

 surface composed of round granules of transparent or 

 pellucid matter, set as close as possible, which are 

 plainly seen between the crossing needles. This ap- 

 pears to be the interior lining of the tube, in fact the 

 tube itself, around which the spiculae are arranged as 

 a loose outer casing, giving firmness to the whole. I 

 could not detect spiculse of any other form than the 

 three-rayed stars ; but several of these had one or 

 more of their rays broken short; for from their com- 

 position they are very brittle, as I have often proved 

 in other species. 



The form of this specimen was so very irregular 

 that but a poor idea can be conveyed of it by words : 

 it may, however, be roughly described as an elliptical 



