ASTER I A S ARBORESCENS. 
T HIS Angular animal, diftinguifhed by the title of the Arborescent Star, is fpe- 
cified in the British Zoology ; " Ast. with five rays iffuing from an angular 
cc body; the rays dividing into innumerable branches, growing flenderer as they recede 
" from the bafe: the moft curious of the genus.” Mr. Pennant had been told of 
their being found in the north of Scotland, but not receiving any fpecimens of them, 
^ is not figured in his valuable work. Doctor Borlase has mentioned that this kind 
°f Star had been fometimes taken off Cornwall ; but it would not appear that he ever 
bad any of them in his pofieflion, elfe he certainly would have given a reprefentation 
fo it, as exceedingly more remarkable than many others, the forms of which he has 
given in his plates. It was therefore judged probable, that it would not be unac- 
Ce ptable to thofe who delight in perufing the variety of life, prefented in the deli- 
neations of natural hiftory, to have a drawing of the above beautiful animal engraved 
here ; efpecially as it feems to have efcaped alfo the refearches of the late Mr. 
■Ellis, who was fo indefatigable in prying, by every poffible means, into the fecret 
re cefi'es of the deep. 
A circumftance which has not been much attended to, is probably the caufe of 
their being feldom or never dredged up with other Stars, and gives us the reafon of 
being fo difficult a thing to find them entire; and indeed fo rare to fall in with 
them at all. 
Contrary to the ufiial mode of exiftence which Stars enjoy, they in general being 
^confined and free, this fpecies has a fixed refidence on the rocks at the bottom 
°f the deep. They are formed beneath like the bafe of the Animal Flowers, fo 
that they adhere to their place of abode witli a power which cannot be overcome but 
by their deftruftion. The addrefs requifite in difengaging an animal flower, which 
tfiay be found nearly dry at the time of ebb, cannot be applied in deep water, unlefs 
°ne were to go down in a diving bell, which is not likely to be engaged on fuch an 
errand. It can only therefore be owing to fome particular circumftance of health or 
Nation, that may incline them to be eafily moved ; or to fome very fortunate caft, if 
at any time the Asterias Arborescens is brought up in dredging; or perhaps it is 
only when the piece of rock or ftone to which they adhere, having coral on it, gets 
^tangled in the net or dredge, and comes along with its adherents, that they are found ; 
at leaft it was owing to that circumftance that the Star was obtained from whence the 
drawing of the plate was made. 
William Lesslie, Efq; of Donlugas , a gentleman who is proprietor of fome ifiands 
°h the coaft of Norway, from whence extenfive fiffieries are carried on, has been 
Ve ry affiduous and attentive in collefting varieties of the corals and other marine prp- 
du&ions that are found on thefe coafts; and has been fo good as to favour the author 
fo this work with many curious fpecimens. Several of the corals are of the fame in- 
dividual kinds with thofe from India and the Mediterranean feas, which are repre- 
fonted by Mr. Ellis in his hiftory of Zoophytes ; and fome of them are of a kind 
effentially 
