On the Occurrence of the " Rosy Feather Star" 83 



adult and eleven young, in different stages of growth. One 

 of the adult has curled its arms into Ammonite-like forms, 

 the delicate pinnae being intertwined gracefully with the 

 arms in the most beautiful manner, adding greatly to its 

 loveliness. Both adult and young are moored by the claws 

 of the filiform processes to the meshes of the sponge. The 

 adult are a short distance from each other, and near the top 

 of the sponge ; some of the young are sheltered under the 

 arms of one of the old ones, others are scattered singly 

 about the sponge. In another spot, a group of four or five 

 are safely ensconced in a nice nook, low down, where four 

 branches take their rise. All the Kosy Feather Stars are 

 on the inner part of the branches of the sponge, and thus 

 sheltered from injury. A few of the filiform processes and 

 other portions which fell from the Thurso specimens are 

 inclosed in glass for your inspection, where the claws, &c- 

 may be seen. 



The filiform processes have, as well as claws on the tips (as 

 figured by Forbes), similar smooth-like processes on the inside 

 of the body of the two next joints, and as well short but stout 

 spines on the upper part of each joint. Shorter spines may 

 be seen on the upper part of the bifurcated arms. 



Having now found the habitat and nursery of this hitherto 

 stranger, it is possible we may often hear of it, and in time 

 welcome the "little strangers" whilst attached to their 

 jointed stalks, before being cast adrift in the world of waters 

 on their own account. This fixed state I frequently met 

 with when I lived in Cornwall. I find, on referring to my 

 diary for 1844, that I noticed many so moored on the stones 

 used to sink the " crab-pots," and also on the rods of which 

 the pots were made. At that time such "wee things," 

 and "little wonders" were not so well understood as now. 

 I removed from the sponge, for preservation, several young 

 specimens of Ophiocoma rosula, varying in size from a spiny 

 egg about two lines across, to rayed ones more than Jth of 

 an inch over, and had the pleasure of tracing the hooked 

 spines, &c. mentioned in my previous papers on Star-fishes 

 to your Society. 



