62 NATURAL III STORY READER. 



it became a double actinia, and the large scallop-shell was 

 made a double base, and was accepted ever after as the de- 

 markation of the two individualities. No fun in Nature ? 

 If this, despite a smack of sauciness, was not a practical 

 joke of the first water, then bring out your specimen-brick, 

 old Sober-sides ! r, c , r , , 



STARS OF THE SEA. 



1. If the visitor to the sea-shore will go down among 

 the big rocks left bare by the retiring tide, and will lift up 

 the long sea-weeds which hang from their sides, he will 

 find the curious " star-fishes," or " sea-stars," in some cases 

 in great profusion, and clinging to the surface of the rock 

 so firmly that they often leave some of their locomotive 

 suckers attached when too quickly lifted from their places. 



2. When seen out of water, the star-fish appears to have 

 no power of motion. But such is not the case, as it moves 

 along the bottom of the ocean with ease. The body so 

 gradually merges into the arms or rays that one can hardly 

 tell where the body ends and the arms begin. The rays are 

 perforated by great numbers of membranous tubes, which 

 issue from apertures. These are the feet of the animal, and 

 consist of two parts — a bladder-like portion within the body, 

 and the tubular part projecting outside and terminating in 

 a disk-shaped sucker. 



3. In progression the animal extends a few of its feet, 

 attaches its suckers to the rocks or stones, and then, by 

 retracting its feet, draws the body forward. The mode of 

 movement is something like that of a ship dragging its 

 anchor. The arms are usually kept on the same level, but 

 the creature has the power of raising any of them to pass 

 over an obstruction. The pace is slow, but, like that of the 



