SELF-MDTILATION. 241 



as could be desired. It had three full-sized rays, and 

 two very small ones, doubtless reproducing. Suddenly, 

 without any apparent provocation, it threw off one of 

 the large rays. I did not see the process, but I had 

 looked at it a moment before, and at the next glance 

 the patient was marching calmly on as before with 

 one of his legs an inch behind him. The suckers of 

 the rejected ray were still as active as before, alter- 

 nately loosening their hold and adhering, just as 

 before, hut there was no advance. 



Seven hours afterwards, when I retired to bed, the 

 suckers of the ray were still moving, and the ray 

 maintained its adhesion to the perpendicular side of the 

 glass ; as it did also when I got up the next morning. 

 But by this time four more rays were separated, and 

 were adhering by their suckers to the upright glass 

 just where they had been left : while the body pursued 

 its solitary journey solaced by the fidelity of its sole 

 remaining ray, — one of the large ones. 



My curiosity had been exoited by the fact that I 

 could not determine with certainty the point from 

 which the first rejected member had separated. I 

 examined the animal minutely, but so entire seemed 

 the whole skin, and so equidistant the remaining rays, 

 that I could not satisfy myself, though I returned 

 again and again to the scrutiny. I did not, however, 

 choose to handle the animal much. But now that so 

 many limbs were gone the points of separation were 

 just visible, yet the contraction of the surrounding 

 parts was so gi'eat that the wounds were exceedingly 

 small. The separation was in each case exactly the 

 same, by an oblique cut, as it were, upward and out- 



Y 



