240 BRITTLE- STAES. 



cause Brittle-stars come up in pecks or bushels rather 

 than in scores or hundreds), and have had plenty of 

 examples of disjointed members, I have never found 

 it prevail to such an extent as to prevent my pre- 

 serving almost with certainty any specimen I wished, 

 without particular precautions. And certainly they 

 are charming occupants of an Aquarium : the ex- 

 treme variety of colouring displayed by them, — I 

 speak of the most abundant species, the Eosette 

 (0. rosula) — and the gorgeousness of the hues fre- 

 quently presented, orange, yellow, crimson, purple, 

 blue, white,; often arranged in alternate angular bands; 

 catch the eye of the most indifferent in a moment: 

 while the exquisitely sculptured spines that profusely 

 fringe each ray, and the many-sided and variously- 

 formed, but perfectly regular and symmetrical scales 

 and plates, that clothe the disk and the rays on both 

 surfaces, elicit our admiration when we examine them 

 more closely. (See Plate IV.) 



Professor Forbes is " doubtful, however, whether 

 Uraster (the common Starfish, Orossfish or Five- 

 finger) has the power of throwing off its rays volun- 

 tarily, as is the case with Luidia and the Ophiurm." I 

 have had evidence that it has, and that not in the case 

 of U. glacialis, in which species these organs are ac- 

 knowledged to be fragile, but in the Common Cross- 

 fish [TJ. ruhens). 



A specimen of this latter about five inches in dia- 

 meter, that had been dredged in Weymouth harbour, 

 was crawling tranquilly up the glass side of my large 

 tank. Several hours had elapsed since it was put in, 

 and it had appeared quite at home, and was as lively 



