32 A NATURALIST IN BRAZIL. 
























a soft-bodied, encrusting polyp (Corticifera), of a leathery 
color. 
The reef abounds in small pools, some of which are shal- 
low and sandy, others deep, rocky, and irregular. The 
former often contain scattered corals, Siderastrea and Fa- 
via, and are rich in small shells, crabs, Ophiure, ete., but 
the latter are the most interesting. 
Fancy, my reader, a pool of the purest sea-water held in 
an irregular rock-basin a few yards across, full of little grot- 
toes and niches, and three or four feet deep. Carpet this 4 
pool with white coral sand and broken shells, and tapestry _ 
heavily the sides with soft fringes and curtains of delicate, : 
brilliant-hued séa-weeds. Plant here and there on the rocks 
clumps of corals and sprigs of Gorgonie, and down deep in 
this shady corner place a big hemispherical Astreean. Here 
among the sea-weeds, and just out of reach of the sunbeams, 
let us plant two or three softly-tinted sea-anemones, just 
where the translucent, tender, petal-like tentacles of these 
sea-flowers will be best shown off. And we must not forget 3 
to stock our aquarium with a plenty of sea-urchins, pincush- 4 
iony little monsters, bristling all over with long dark purple 
spines (Echinometra Michelini Desor), and each nestled 
comfortably away in a cavity worn in some incomprehen- 
sible manner in the solid rock. Here is a little crimson 
star-fish ( Echinaster) ;* let us half hide him in under the sea- 3 
weeds, for it won’t do to make him too conspicuous ; and q 
here are some queer crabs, that go restlessly prying about — 
among the sea-weeds, frightening the sea-anemones, and, 
perhaps, falling a prey to a snaky-armed cuttle-fish, that 
lurks under some dead coral. Now we must introduce a 

er errill. Rays short, somewhat angular. Radius of disk .5 
of an inch; ofrays1.9. Spines along each edge of the ambulacral grooves in two 
fh t } ash crowded. thace an 

a single one on each plate. Spines of inner row much smaller, not half as long, one to 
each plate. Lower side of ray with a row of distant, large, conical, sharp spines, not 
extending upon the disk. On back and side of ys there fo ji her irregular 
tows of similar large, sharp spines, rising from the swollen nodes. It has shorter and 
more angular rays, coarser structure, larger and fewer spines than Z. spinosus of West 

