ASTROPUYTON AGASSIZIL 189 



.loynt oil wliicli the i)rt(T(Iiiii; Joyiit \va> |il;icc(l were always anuul a Itli or 'itli part 

 loii^'i'i- than tliosi' on the other side. Kvcry of tlio-o Uranchini^s seemed to have, from the 

 very month to the smallest t\vig;,'s or threds in which it ended, a donhle chain or rank of 

 pores. The iJoily of the Fish was on the other side, and seems to have been j)rotnlierant, 

 nuieh like an Mchinns (Egg-Fish oi' Uutton-Fish), and, like tlial, divided into ,") ril)Iis or 

 ridges, and eaih of these seemed to he kept ont by two small Itunv riiibs." 



Vol. VI. Page 2221. KiTl. 

 A further Accnmpt of the Stellar Fish forinerlif described in Numb. .'*?, p. 1 \')?>. 



This Aeeompt was eomnumicated by the same Gentleman that imparted the fijrmer, in a 

 letter written from Uoston, New England, Oct. 21), 1070, as followeth : — 



'• Sinee my former 1 found out the Fisherman who brought that Stellar fish from Sea. 

 I asked all the (piestions I could think needful concerning it. I understood from him that 

 he never saw nor heard of any but those few that were taken by himself, which were not 

 above si.v or seven in all, and those at several times, not far from the Shoals of Nantucket 

 (which is an Island upon the Coast of New England) when he was fishing for Cod and 

 such like Marchantable fish. This Stellar Fish, when it was alive, and first puU'd out of 

 the water, was like a basket, and had gathered itself round like a Wicker-basket, having 

 taken fast hold upon that bait o i the hook which he had sunk down to the bottom to catch 

 other Fish, and having held that within the surrounding brachla, would not let it go, though 

 drawn up into the Vessel ; until, by lying a while on the Deck, it felt the want of its 

 natural Element ; and then voluntarily it extended itself into the flat, round form in which 

 it appear'd when present'd to your view. 



*' What motion these fishes had in the water could not be known to him, for the water 

 was deep, and they could not be seen in any other form than so galher'd up together to 

 liold fast the bait. The only use that could be discerned of all that curious composure 

 wherewith Nature had adorned it, seems to be to make it as a pursenet to catch some 

 other fish, or any other thing fit for its food, and as a basket of store to keep .some of it for 

 future supply, or as a receptacle to preserve and defend the young ones of the same kind 

 from fish of prey ; if not to feed on them also (which appears probable the one or the 

 other), for that sometimes there were found pieces of Mackerel within that concave. And 

 he told me that once he caught one, which had within the hollow of its embracements a 

 verv small fish of the same kind, together with some piece or pieces of another fish, which 

 was judged to be of a Mackerel. And that small one ('tis like) was kept either for its 

 preservation, or for food to the greater ; but. being alive, it seems most likely it was there 

 lodged for safety, except it were accidentally drawn within the net, together with that piece 

 of fish, upon which it might be then feedinor. 



" He told me further, that every one of those smallest parts had motion when it was 

 alive, and a tenacious .-trength ; but after it was dead, and extended to a flat round, it was 

 so brittle that it could not be handled without breaking some parts of it; but by carefully 

 hiying of it to dry, it was thereby somewhat iiardeiied. 



" He added, that he had taken one of this kind of fish the latter end of this Summer, but 

 had left it with a friend at another port where he had been. Meantime he promised to 

 procure it for me when he should sail thither again, if it were not broken or defaced. 

 I hope I shall engage him for the future to take better notice of what may be remarkable 

 about it. Upon occasion I have inquired of divers other Fishermen and Mariners, but cjui 

 meet with none other that ever have taken any of the-e fishes. This Fisherman could not 

 tell me of any name it hath, and 't is in all likelihood yet nameless, being not commonly 

 known as other Fish are. But, until a fitter English name be found for it, why may it not 

 be called (in regard of what hatli been before mentioned of it) a Basket-Fish, or a Net-Fish, 

 or a Purs-Hst-Fish 1 " 



