98 MARINE ANIMALS OF MASSACHUSETTS BAY. 



Ouvieria. (Ouvieria sqmmata D. & K) 



The Holotliuiiaii of our coast, excelling all the rest in beauty, 

 is the Ouvieria. (Fig. 127.) As it lies on the sand, a solid red 

 lump, Tvith neither grace of form nor beauty of color, even the 

 vividness of its tint growing dull and dead when it is removed 

 from- its native element, certainly no one could suspect that it 

 possessed any hidden charm; but place it in a glass bowl with 

 fresh sea-water ; the dull red changes to deep vivid crimson, the 

 tentacles creep out (Fig. 127) softly, and slowly, till the mouth 



Fig. 127. 



is surrounded by a spreading wreath, comparable for richness of 

 tint, and for delicate tracery, to the most beautiful sea-weeds. 

 These tentacles, when fully expanded, are as long as the body it- 

 self. A limestone pavement composed of numerous pieces covers 

 almost the whole ■surface of the . animal ; this apparatus cor- 

 responds, as we have already mentioned, to the warts containing 

 anchors in the Synapta ; but in the latter, the limestone parti- 

 cles are smaller, whereas in the Ouvieria they are developed to 

 a remarkable extent. This animal is very sluggish, the ambula- 

 cral suckers, found only on three of the tubes, being arranged 

 in such a way as to form a sort of sole on which they creep ; 



Fig. 127. CuTieria ; natural size. 



