120 STAR-FI8H, BY RUTH STRONGMAN. 



LESSON ON THE STAR-FISH IN A SIXTH GRADE, 



WILLIAMS SCHOOL, AUBURNDALE, MASS. 

 » 



BY 



Harriet B. Stooner. 



Mr. Maynard, with one specimen for class inspection, 

 gave a half hour lesson to the pupils of grade VI, Williams 

 School. From notes, taken while he was teaching, the pu- 

 pils produced these papers which are first draft. 



Star-eish, by Ruth Strongman. 



The star-fish has two sides, the upper side and the under side, the 

 upper side being covered with spines. These spines protect the star- fish from 

 any harm. A star-fish commonly has five rays. These rays are so ealled 

 because they radiate from a center. 



On the star-fish there are many little feelers. On the under side of the 

 rays there is a hollow running to the tip of each ray. Along the edges of 

 these hollows are some little holes. These holes run parallel with the rays. 

 They are not opposite one from another, but are alternate. They appear op- 

 posite when the star-fish is dead. 



The mouth of the star-fish is •in the center of the under side where the 

 rays join. The star-fish has the power, when he wants something to eat, to 

 throw his stomach out of his mouth and fill it with water. When he has 

 taken out what he wants he throws the rest away. His stomach is composed 

 of five lobes, one to each ray. These lobes are not always regular, but are 

 very often irregular. There is an opening in the stomach where the part 

 the star-fish does not want is thrown out. 



Between the two rays that are the farthest apart up toward the center 

 is a little spat. When the star-fish is alive, the strainer, as this spot is called, 

 is red, but when he is dead the strainer is creamy- white. This strainer is 

 exactly the same as a sieve, it keeps all, except the water, out. The water 

 goes in at the strainer through a tube, into another, which is called the ring 

 tube, from this there goes one to each ray, a ray tube. There are many little 

 bulb- like things along each ray. These bulbs are called suckers because 

 they suck the food up. There is a bulb and below that a tube. When the 

 star-fish wishes to suck something up, he squeezes the bulb, and when he lets 

 go the water comes up. The ray tube enters this just where the bulb and 

 the tube join. A little way down the tube there is a valve which the star- 

 fish can close if he wants to take the water in through the strainer. 



