AST 
AST 
or four years in aniving at a ftate of perfefKonj and 
frequently lives to the age of twenty or twenty- 
five. It fleeps very little, and never lies down for 
that purpofe, till quite worn out with fatigue. The 
female goes above eleven months with young, and 
never brings forth more than one at a time. The 
mule may be engendered between a ftallion and 
an Afs, or between an Afs and a mare; but the 
latter breed is every way preferable, being both 
larger, ftronger, and better fhaped. It is not as 
yet certain whether the animal called the gimerro 
be one of thefe kinds ; or, as is ufually afTerted, 
bred between the Afs and the bull. While natu- 
ralifts, however, contend for the impofllbility of 
this admixture, the natives of the Alpine countries, 
where this animal is bred, as ftrongly infill on 
it's reality. The commoii mule is very healthy, will 
live about thirty years, and is extremely ferviceable 
in carrying burdens; particularly in mountainous 
and ftony places where horfes are fcarcely capa- 
ble of v/alking. The fize and ftrength of our 
Afles, however, is at prefent greatly improved by 
the importation of Spanifh Jack or male Affes : 
and, with care and attention, we miglit in time 
equal the Spaniards themfelves in breeding them, 
AfTes, indeed, feem now perfeftly naturalized in 
this country : the climate and foil appear perfectly 
to agree with them; and tlieir utility daily becomes 
more and more evident. Being now introduced 
imo many drudgeries formerly allotted to horfes, they 
are veiy ferviceable in faving thofe noble animals 
for higlicr purpofes. Many of our richefi: mines 
are in fituations almoft inacceffible to horfes ; 
where thefe fure- footed animals are employed 
to advantage in conveying our mineral treafures 
from one place to another. We may alfo add that, 
fince our horles are become a confiderable article 
of commerce, and bring great fums annually 
into thefe kingdom?, the improvement of an ani- 
mal which will in many inftances fupply the place 
of the horle, as well as enable us to enlarge our 
exports, certainly demands the attention of every 
well-wiflier to his country. 
ASTERIA. A name by which fome authors 
have diftinguifhed the accipiter palumbarius, or 
goflnawk. 
ASTERIAS, or SEA STAR. A genus of 
lhapelefs and deformed worms, forming a nume- 
rous tribe, and which alTume different appearances 
at different periods. The fame animal which at 
one time appears round like a ball, very foon after 
flattens as thin as a plate. All infeftsof this kind are 
formed of a femi-tranfparent gelatinous fubftance, 
covered with a thin membrane; and, to an inatten- 
tive fpeftator, often appear like a lump of inani- 
mate jelly, floating at random on the furface of the 
fea, as if^ cafually thrown afhore at the departure 
of the tide : but, on a more minute infpeftion, 
they are found to be poffefTed of life and motion. 
They are feen fhooting out their arms in every di- 
rection, in order to feize on fuch objefls as are 
within their reach, which they devour with great 
rapacity. Worms, the fpawn of fifh, and even 
mufcles themfelves, with their hard refilling fhells, 
have been found in the ftomachs of thefe voraci- 
ous creatures ; and, what is more extraordinary, 
though the fubftance of their own bodies be almofl 
as foft as water, they are in no refpedl injured by 
fwallowing thefe fliells, which are almoft of a ftony 
hardnefs. In fummer, when the water of the fea 
is warmed by the heat of the fun, they float on the- 
furface; and in the night-rime dieyemit a kind of 
luminous efHuvia, refembling that orphofphdrus. 
Some naturalifts have given thefe animals the 
names of fea-nettles, becaufe they irritate the hands 
of thofe who touch them, after the manner of thofe 
weeds. They are often found affixed to the rocks, 
and to the largeft fea-fhells, as if they derived 
their nourifhment from them. If injefted into 
fpirits of wine, they will continue entire for many 
years ; but, on being expofed to the air, they melt 
down, in lefs than twenty-four hours, into a lim- 
pid and offenfive liquid. 
Among the whole of this fpecies, none are found 
poffefTed of a vent for their excrements ; but the 
fame pafTage which admits their food, ferves alio 
for die ejedion of the fsces. Thefe anim.als, as 
before obferved, aflume a great variety of fhapes; 
fo that it is difiicult to delcribe them under de- 
terminate figures; but their bodies in general re- 
fem.ble truncated cones, whofe bafes are attached 
to the rocks where they are ufually found adher- 
ing. Though generally tranfparent, they are fre- 
quently found of different colours: fome inclin- 
ing to green, others to red; fome to white, and 
odiers to brovv'n. In fome, the colours appear dif- 
fufed over the whole furface; in fome they are only 
ftreaked; and, in others, they are often fpotted. 
They are polfeffcd of a very flow progrefTive m.o- 
tion; and, in fine weather, they are continually feen 
expanding themfelves, and fifliing for their prey. 
Many of them contain a number of long flender 
filaments, in which they entangle any fmali ani- 
mais they happen to encounter, and thus draw. them 
into their voracious ftomachs, which occupy the 
whole cavities of their bodies. The harder iliells 
continue undigeft-ed for feveral weeks; but, at 
length, undergoing a kind of maceration in the 
ftomach, they become aiTimilated with the fub- 
ftance of the animal. Thefe creatures maybe cut 
in pieces, and yet every part of them will furv^ive 
the operation; each foon becoming a perfeft ani- 
mal, endued with the natural rapacity of the fpe- 
cies. 
AsTERiAS, Common. The Com.mon Afterias, 
which is furniftied with five dq3refied rays, is broad 
at the bale, fubangular, rough, and of a yellow co- 
lour, having a round ftriated covering on the back. 
This fpecies of the ftar-fifh, however, is fometimes 
found defective, or v/ith four rays only. It is com- 
mon to the Britifli feas; and generally abounds 
among oyfters, to which it is very deftruCtive. 
AsTERiAS, Dotted. The Dotted Aftex-ias has 
likewife five Imooth rays; but is diftinguiftied {(octi 
the common fpecies by being dotted or punftured; 
and is of a beautiful purple colour. 
AsTERiAS, Rimmed. The Rimmed Afterias 
has alfo five finooth rays, but the fides are fur- 
rounded with a regular fcaly rim : on the moutli is 
a plate of a cinquefoil form; and the colour is 
fomewhat reddifh. 
AsTERiAS, Rough. The Rough Afterias has 
five broad rays, and becomes angular at the top; 
the body is entirely covered with lliort briftles; 
and the colour is brown. 
AsTERiAS, Gibbous. The Gibbous Afterias is 
diftingtfifhed by five very fnort and broad rays, 
flightly projecting: it is much elevated, and covered 
with a brown rough fl<in; and the mouth is fitua- 
ted in the midft of the pentagon. 
AsTERiAS, Flat. The Flat Afterias is furnifli- 
ed with five very broad and membranaceous rays, 
which are extremely thin and flat. This fpecies has 
been caught near W eymouth, but is very fcarce. 
AST£RIAS, 
