438 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 
worms, when offered as the prize of fight among the multifarious combat- 
ants ready to claim. their portion. 
In order to study the mutual hostilities of these warlike races, M. 
Quatrefages threw a large specimen into a pool a few feet wide. A troop 
the ty to himself. It was, however, at onc seen that he would 
‘speedily be Seal to share the spoil, for at that vary instant there ap- 
“peared some score of Turbos and small Whelks, who, conscious that a 
_ dinner was at hand, all hastened up, evidently for the purpose of partici- 
pating in the feast. Without any sign of uncertainty or hesitation they 
moved straight forward toward the anticipated meal, and the worm was 
soon covered ese predatory mollusks. The fate of the contested 
prey seemed definitely sett a small Shore Crab (Carcinus 
tance from the water’s ites where he might devour it at his ease upon 
dry ground, and thus put an end to the combat 
Speaking ee star-fishes, he says: 
“In confinement these creatures are almost invariably subject to fright- 
ful iiblationa. “Not only do they lose large portions of their body, ot 
even entire rays, but the whole animal sometimes literally falls. to pieces 5 
aor although to-day you may possess a settvere and beautiful eon 
hich has 
behaved itselfin a manner periec 
is no saying but that to-morrow morning you va ge nothing left of it but 
a heap of fragments dispersed through the wa This kind of sey 
is a casualty apparently ee, to the whl race, and wit 
species, amongst which Luidia fragilissima stands preé eéminently er 
spicuous, it is so. ale put in practice, wey that upon aie gah 
F 
