66 
Common Star fish. — It would be a difficult matter to go to the 
sea-shore at low-tide without seeing several of these creatures. 
They usually congiegale under rocks or masses of sea weed to await 
the return of the water. Ou the upper side the common five fingered 
variety is a reddish colour and particularly rough to the touch. 
Underneath it is provided with a very large number of tentacles, 
which enable it to creep over rocks as well as to cling and hold on 
to its food. If one of these creatures be turned over on its back, it 
will, by the aid of its tentacles, slowly and deliberately right itself. 
The process is very interesting. Occasionally one sees a specimen 
which has only four limbs ; the fifth was not bitten off, but the 
creature was born so. Star fish are scavengers feeding on dead fish 
and animal refuse generally’. 
Marine Worms. [Spirorbis.] — On turning over the sea-weed 
while searching for marine animals one frequently' finds some of it 
covered with a large number of spiral shell-like structures. These 
are the tunnels of tiny marine worms. Oyster, mussel and scallop 
shells are often seen with these tubes dotted over their surfaces. 
Edible Cockle. — The cockle is so well known that a description 
of its shape and colour would be superfluous here. In a state of 
nature it usually lies just buried in the sand. However, in such 
sheltered places as the estuaries of rivers where the sea is never very 
boisterous it seems to prefer to remain above the sand loose among 
the stones, where it becomes over-grown with sea-weeds. A number 
of empty shells lying flat on the sand usually indicates the where- 
abouts of a colony of cockles. When collected for food they are 
scraped out of the mud with wooden rakes. If one of these “shell- 
fish ” be placed in some sea water after a time it will protrude a mass 
of flesh called the " foot.” This organ serves the animal the dual 
purpose of anchoring it and moving it slowly through the sand. 
Edible Mussel. — In some places these creatures are so plentiful 
that the rocks which form their support are literally covered with 
them. If one of these molluscs be carefully pulled away from its 
fellows, a mass of thread-like sinews will be seen hanging from its 
shell. This is known as the “ byssus ” or foot of the creature which 
fixes it firmly to the rocks. When left high and dry by the tide the 
shells are kept tightly closed, but when submerged they slightly 
open and a structure is put out which has somewhat the appearance 
of a lace frill round the edge of the shell. This creature is largely 
used for food in some classes of society, but on many people it has a 
very deleterious effect. 
Whelk. — All the creatures so far described have no distinct head 
but obtain their food supply by inhaling a stream of sea-water and 
filtering out what they require. As all the edible particles are 
extracted the water is expelled. The whelk, on the other hand, has a 
simple bead and a mouth which is provided with a very file-like tongue. 
With this member it is able to wear away the shells of smaller 
creatures and feast on their living contents. The shells of whelks, 
winkles and several other univalves are closed by caps or opercula 
which are fixed to the tails of the creatures. When crawling these 
caps will be seen on the hindermost part of the animals just below 
the shells. Whelks are born from eggs which are enclosed in horny 
cases, numbers being fixed together on a common stalk. When all 
the young are hatched the case breaks off its support, and numbers 
of them are then washed ashore. The illustration shows one of 
these about natural size. 
