STAR-FISH, BY THOMAS DOWD. 11 



The stomach is five-lobed shape, and extends a little into each ray. It is 

 kept in shape by muscles which extend from each lobe toward the tip of the 

 ray. When the star-fLh wants to feed, it throws out its stomach and 

 takes the nourishing food and then it takes the stomach into the body. 

 It feeds mostly on oysters and dead fish. 



The waste matter is thrown out through the mouth, and a little is 

 thrown out through a small hole on the upper side. The eggs are 

 dropped out of the mouth and the star-fish knows nothing more of them. 



The star-fishes are useful in keeping the sea clear of dead fish, but 

 they injure the oyster beds so men have to kill them. 



Star-fish, By Thomas Dowd. Age, 13. 



There are different species of the star-fish. There are the Bahama, the 

 common, and the scailet. They belong to the class of radiates. They live 

 along the shores of North America, in Northern Maine, and the Bahama 

 Islands. They live in shallow water. 



The star-fish has five rays, but some have four, and one out of every 

 thousand has six, and one out of every ten thousand has seven, and one 

 out of every hundred thousand, eight. The ray opposite you is called the 

 anterior, and the rays at the right and left of the anterior ray, are called 

 the left and right anterior, and the upper two are called the left and right 

 posterior. 



The upper surface is covered with little spikes. The star-fish has two 

 skins, and between the two skins are stony plates made of lime, and if any 

 acid should fall on the back of the star-fish it would effervesce. The spines 

 are of the sara3 material as the plates. On each side of the spines 

 are snappers. The spines protect the star-fish just as the thorns on a rose 

 bush protect the rose. 



The tentacles are the feelers. They can perceive when any one is near 

 them. There is an eye- speck on every ray, and there are nerves running 

 into these rays. 



The star-fish breathes the air that is in the water. The heart is be- 

 side of the stone canal. In each ray are thin veins, or blood-vessels. On 

 the under surface are the grooves, feet, and mouth. 



On each side of the grooves are feet, which he can protect by pulling 

 them under a covering made purposely for them. The mouth is sometimes 

 protected by the little spikes. The stomach is five-lobed in shape. 



The star-fish feeds on oysters and dead fish. The waste matter comes 

 back to the stomach, and goes out through the mouth, and sometimes 

 through a little hole in the back. The star-fish is useful in one way, and 

 injurious in another way. It cleans the sea of dead fish, though it destrovs 

 many oyster beds. 



