EC HI NODERM AT A. 
Fig. 105. Asteraa rubens (I^amarck). 
lQdi viduals. The eoimection of the arms with the disk presents 
ec l 1 ially remarkable differences. In the geims Culcita, the disk is so 
^ch developed that it constitutes, so to speak, the entire animal, 
^hilst the arms form only a slight protuberance upon its circum- 
er ence. I n j-p e g en era Luidia, on the contrary, the disk is reduced 
0 minimum, whilst the arms are of great length and very slender. 
n The colours of the star -fish vary greatly ; they vary from a yellowisb- 
i a yellow-orange, a garnet-red, to a dark violet, as then name 
ln< hcate s . 
263 
The star-fish has five perfectly equal arms. They resemble a cross 
°f honour, which has five branches. The star of the brave, the 
star of honour— these somewhat trivial words recall, nevertheless, the 
^semblance which exists between the two objects ; doubtless, man has 
here taken Nature for his copy. It must, however, be remarked that, 
though five is the general number of lines in the star-fish, this number 
18 not constant ; it varies with different genera, species, and even with 
