HOW TO PRESERVE SPECIMENS. 135 



most ludicrous account of an adventure with a 

 Luidia and a bucket. 



When undisturbed in their own element, the 

 brittle-stars are well worthy of observation ; for 

 their long fringed arms wriggle about with great 

 vivacity, and well carry out the simile of the 

 centipede. In order to destroy these creatures 

 without damage, a vessel of fresh water should be 

 brought to them, and if they are rapidly sub- 

 merged, the saltless fluid destroys them before 

 they have time to discover that there is anything 

 wrong. In the case of the Luidia, however, the 

 sight (if star-fishes see) of the fresh water was so 

 alarming that the precautions were useless. 



If the star-fishes are needed for the cabinet, 

 they must be dried ; an easy process enough, but 

 requiring patience. They must first be thoroughly 

 washed in fresh water, in order to get rid of the 

 salt, and then carefully spread out on a clean 

 smooth board, and dried in the open air. They 

 should not be placed in the cabinet until they 

 are thoroughly dry, or there will be sad damage 

 done. 



I said just now that we should soon find that 

 forms, apparently dissimilar, were in reality 

 closely connected with each other; and this fact 

 we shall see exemplified in the creature that next 



