86 University of Calif orma Publications in Zoology. [Vol. 4 



rays bent downward, so as to bring the crabs toward the under 

 side of the disk of the starfish. The disk itself began to rise, so 

 as to make it possible for the two rays to be doubled beneath it ; 

 the crabs were thus carried to its under surface. Up to this point 

 the tube feet had played no part, the crabs being held by the 

 pedicellariae and carried toward the mouth by the bending of 

 the rays. Now the tube feet are sent out, especially from the disk 

 region, and the suckers are applied to the crabs. The disk is 

 slowly raised as much as an inch from the bottom ; and two of 

 the rays are bent directly under, so that their ventral surfaces 

 are applied to the mouth. Thus one of the crabs is placed against 

 the mouth and held there. But this crab now makes violent 

 efforts to escape, and nearly succeeds. It is caught again by 

 the tube feet and pedicellariae, while a third ray now bends 

 under the disk and helps push the crab to the mouth. The crab 

 is this time securely held, almost covered with tube feet. The 

 three rays straighten, and the starfish flattens down against the 

 glass, with the crab against its mouth. The soft lobes of the 

 stomach come out through the mouth, after the horrid fashion 

 of the starfish, apply themselves to the living crab, and proceed 

 to digest him. 



Meanwhile the other two crabs have been carried to the under 

 surface of the starfish also, and are there held quiet by the tube 

 feet, till such time as the starfish shall be ready to devour them. 

 One of them seems completely conquered, and remains still. But 

 the larger one makes a violent effort to escape while the starfish 

 is digesting his companion ; he manages to pull away to the tip 

 of one of the rays. The starfish follows in that direction, carry- 

 ing the other two crabs, and seizes the unruly crab anew with its 

 tube feet. But the crab has managed to free its great pincers, 

 and with these it savagely cuts off the tube feet that are holding 

 it, and flees. In the melee a considerable number of legs have 

 been pulled off the different crabs; four of these legs are now 

 held by the tube feet against the lower surface of the starfish, 

 until such time as it shall be ready to devour them. 



The bending of the rays under the disk required but about five 

 minutes, but it was nearly half an hour from the beginning of 

 the fray before one of the crabs was applied closely to the mouth. 



