S8 CONNECTICUT GEOL. AND NAT. HIST. SURVEY. [BuU. 



" The stars could be destroyed by hundreds of thousands in 

 July by collecting and drying a few cartloads of seaweed taken 

 below low-water mark. After the first week or two of July the 

 collection of seaweed would do no injury to the clams." 



Fig. 7. Very young starfish in the 

 act of devouring a moUusk. (After 

 Mead.) 



The rate of growth of the young starfish is discussed on page 

 40. 



Northern Starfish. — The larval stages of the northern starfish 

 have been studied by Agassiz*, Fieldf, and others, while GotoJ 

 has made detailed investigations on the metamorphosis. Accord- 

 ing to these observations the development of this species is similar 

 to that described for the common starfish. 



Slender-armed Starfish. — This species is reported as pro- 

 ducing a small number of comparatively large eggs, which develop 

 without free-swimming stages. It is also said to protect its 

 eggs and embryos beneath the peristome until the young star- 

 fishes have reached a diameter of several millimeters. 



Blood Starfish. — In this species only a few large eggs are 

 produced. These develop into the adult form by a complicated 

 metamorphosis, although, as stated on page 52, the larvae do not 

 swim free in the water. 



KEY TO SPECIES 



The starfishes of the world may be divided into five orders, 

 only two of which are found in Connecticut waters or in their 



* Mem. Museum Comparative Zoology, 1877. 



t Quarterly Journ. of Microscopical Science, 189a. * 



t Journ. College of Science, Imp. Univ. Tokio, 1898. • 



