ECHINODERMATA. 
271 
■Mysteries of Nature, who can sound your depths ? Secrets of the 
^‘oral world, what being but God has the privilege of comprehending 
Jou? A large species of Star-fish ( Luidia fragillmima), which 
’Mabits the English seas, has this instinct of suicide to a great extent. 
be following account by Professor Edward Forbes of an attempt to 
capture a Luidia gives a good illustration of its powers : — “ The first 
' Dle that I took one of these creatures,” the professor says, “ I suc- 
ceeded in placing it entire in my boat. Not having seen one before, 
a bd being ignorant of its suicidal powers, I spread it out on a rowing 
eilc 'h, the better to admire its form and colours. On attempting to 
fetQove it for preservation, to my horror and disappointment I found 
0r 'ly an assemblage of detached members. My conservative endea- 
'°'irs were all neutralised by its destructive exertions ; and the animal 
j bow badly represented in my cabinet by a diskless arm and an arm- 
Ss disk. Next time I went to dredge at the same spot I determined 
to be cheated out of my specimen a second time. I carried with 
a bucket of fresh water, for which the star-fishes evince a great 
apathy. As I hoped, a Luidia soon came up in the dredge— a most 
? t ° r geous specimen. As the animal does not generally break up until 
18 raised to the surface of the sea, I carefully and anxiously plunged 
j lv y bucket to a level with the dredge’s mouth, and softly introduced 
IQ, 
it. 
Luidia into the fresh water. Whether the cold was too much for 
^ ° r the sight of the bucket was too terrific, I do not know ; but 
a foment it began to dissolve its corporation, and I saw its limbs 
y/M'mg through every mesh of the dredge. 
t o e Lrgest piece, and brought up the extremity of an arm with its 
In my despair I seized 
‘'ttUual e y e> t ] 10 spinous eyelid of which opened and closed with 
rp Mug exceedingly like a wink of derision.” 
0 , ue mind remains confounded before such spectacles, and w r e can 
tp Sa y, with Mallebranche, “ It is well to comprehend clearly that 
Tu - are some things which are absolutely incomprehensible.” 
18 is doubtless the reason that in collections of natural history 
in larel y find star-fishes, and especially the Luidia, entire ; the 
de e . n * ihe animal is seized by fisherman or amateur, in its terror or 
typh a ir it breaks itself up into small fragments. To preserve them 
°f H , 6 billed suddenly, before they have time to be aware 
th e 611 ^ an § er - Lor this purpose, the moment they are drawn from 
Sea ihey must be plunged into a vase of cold fresh water ; this saltless 
