ENTOMOLOGY. 



by many other circumstances, as that of different animals 

 being found, fish, plants, insects, and shells, none of which 

 have their analogies existing at present in the globe. 



To return however to the more particular history of 

 the present animal, the Echinus Castaneus, so culled from 

 Castaneus (the Chesnut,) which it exactly resembles in 

 colour, is a native of the South Seas, and of the coasts of 

 New Holland. It is of an oval form consisting of an arched 

 geometrical body, ornamented with radiated spines of various 

 lengths and of the shape of a club. These are of a flat- 

 tened form, and the young or smaller ones near the center 

 are of a purple colour. The body is small in proportion 

 to the spines, the largest of which are about five inches long, 

 and there is an opening at the top and bottom of the body, 

 from which different rays issue like ribs down all the sides, 

 having knobs or tubercles, upon which, as upon a hinge, 

 all the spines or clubs revolve. Whether the animal has the 

 power of moving itself by means of these spines, at the 

 bottom of the sea, is not well ascertained, and to say the 

 truth, they do not seem to be very well formed for such an 

 action, though this has been the assertion of some parti- 

 cular travellers as well as naturalists. 



The most singular animal of this tribe, is the Echinus 

 Sceptriferus, once in the Duchess of Portland's collection, 

 and at present belonging to that curious museum of Mr. 

 Jennings, of Chelsea, and which we purpose to delineate 

 if possible in a future number; it is remarkable for having- 

 jointed spines, and is allowed to be exceedingly rare, if not 

 quite unique, and is a native of the Eastern Seas, of Asia, 

 and Ceylon. 



