78 
BLUEFIELDS. 
by regular and close-set rings of polished, pointed 
spiculae, overlapping each other, most elaborate in 
their finish. The length and slenderness of the 
spines, combined with their brittleness, rendered it 
difficult to handle the animals ; especially as, after 
they were removed from the water, they kept agitat- 
ing these organs briskly, and each spine with a move- 
ment independent of the other spines. The sight of 
so many long needle-like points moving irregularly 
together, some oscillating to and fro, and others 
partially revolving on the curious ball and socket 
joints at the base, had a very singular appearance. 
Several, however, in spite of every precaution, were 
broken in removing the animals from the sea into a 
basket, and in taking them out at home. 
A quarter of an hour’s immersion in fresh water 
was sufficient to deprive them of life, and the soft 
viscera were easily removed by slightly enlarging the 
anal orifice in the centre of the upper surface. But 
now the problem was how to dry them, so that they 
might retain somewhat of their original beauty. For 
the spines, no longer sustained by muscular power, 
were now all fallen flat, and were lying across one 
another in confusion ; and if the specimens were put 
to dry mouth downward, of course the spines would 
dry in such unnatural positions ; and thus the whole 
of the elegance arising from their regular divergence 
would be lost. On the other hand, if they were set 
to rest in an inverted position, the weight would 
break the points of the spines, or distort them worse. 
I at first attempted to lay them, mouth upward, on 
two or three threads stretched across a box, but 
