18 THE BERMUDA ISLANDS. 



everj'where, and so finely are they interwoven that the outlines 

 of the elementary parts lose themselves in the body-mass of the 

 whole. Thus has nature provided her weaker offspring with a 

 protective coloring, and allowed them to live almost unobserved 

 amid the haunts of their enemies. We found the Diadema setosa, 

 the peer of all sea-urchins, very abundant on the reef, where 

 in magnificent contrast to the wealth of color by which it was 

 surrounded, its ebony-black masses stood out in prominent 

 relief from the coral shelters which it inhabits. All the individ- 

 uals occupied recesses in the coral growth, which they had by 

 some means, probably, managed to keep open. It is a note- 

 worthy fact that while most of the animal forms inhabiting 

 this portion of the growing reef were brilliantly colored, 

 harmonizing with, and shielding one another by, the party -tints 

 that had been culled from the rainbow, these urchins were 

 alone conspicuous by the absence of any such protective cloak; 

 but just in their case no protective guise in the form of coloring 

 is needed, since these animals are abundantly able to shield 

 themselves by means of their greatly attenuated spines. We 

 found three other species of sea-urchin, Echinometra subangu- 

 laris, Hipponoe esculenta, and Oidaris tribuloides, fairly abundant 

 in the coral shelters, the last-named species, I believe, being 

 now for the first time recorded from the islands. 



We secured many specimens of the large Diadema for our 

 collections, but found that caution in handling was necessary, 

 lest the needle-spines would be projected into the flesh, and 

 there broken off in fragments. In what precise manner the 

 animal so deftly manages to insert its spines into the finger tips, 

 and leave them there as reminiscences of its existence I could 

 not determine; but the fact spoke of an occult operation in 

 painful language. The urchins are, however, not the only 

 animals that produce lasting impressions upon the visitor to the 

 reefs. The corals and millepores are all endowed with stinging 

 powers, and the ulcerations and swellings which their nettle- 

 cells produce are frequently retained in quiet discomfort for 

 several days. The jelly-fishes and Medusae are equally dis- 



