NATURAL HISTORY. 
637 
up, which has its fossil counterpart in Europe. The New 
Zealand Echini are all remarkable for their very small spines, 
but one is found in a fossil state, very closely resembling a 
fine Australian one, having large ones. 
Genus Echino dermata Bonella, a thick fleshy substance, 
of a reddish brown color, met with on the sandy shores. 
There are two kinds of Dentalia — one plain, the other 
striated and curved — the first attains a length of three inches ; 
a third may be mentioned, which is formed of agglutinized 
particles of sand ; these are all found as fossils also, and of a 
larger size. 
Of the Cirrh'ipedes may be noticed a curious-branched kind, 
composed of numbers united together in the form of branches. 
A. balanus , which is attached to the skin of the sperm 
whale, is high and rounded; another, infesting the black 
whale, is flat. 
There is nothing particular to distinguish the chitons of 
New Zealand from those of other parts, they are numerous 
and some large. 
Of the Radiata, the Actinice , sea anemonies, are extremely 
beautiful ; the isles contain about six or eight kinds. Some 
of the star fish are large, one measures a foot from the end 
of one ray to that of the opposite one, and has eleven rays ; 
another has five very long ones, compact, and scaly in ap- 
pearance. 
Ojphiura Annulosa. — The Asterias Tessilata is very abun- 
dant in most sheltered waters. 
The Acalephce, or sea-nettle, onga-onga , numbers are thrown 
up by every gale, and are conspicuous by their deep purple 
hue, of these is the velellata, jpoti-poti , with its curious 
transparent cartilaginous-frame, rising like a sun-dial fixed 
on an oval base. One of this fam. is very common in the 
New Zealand seas ; the body is gelatinous, transparent, and 
rather solid, oblong in form, terminating with a beak ; it is 
a linked molusc, numbers being found attached to each 
other, and so compactly as to leave no place between them, 
thus forming regular figures, but easily separated ; they 
have an open stomach, through which water is seen to pass. 
