28 
ROOM IX. 
Nat. Hist. 
(Asterias), and Medusa’s Heads (Alecto), with 
their finely divided arms, with which they filter the 
water, to separate the small mollusca on which they 
feed. The Lizard-tailed Star Fish (Ophiura), which 
attach themselves to coral by their flexible arms; the 
Sea Eggs ( Echinus j, and Sea Hearts (Spatangus), the 
Sea Demons, &c.; Sea Cucumbers (Holothuria), 
some of which are much sought after by the Chinese, 
as delicacies; and lastly, the genus Siphunculus. 
Case 14 contains the soft radiated animals, as Me¬ 
dusae, Physaliae, Velellae, and Actiniae, and the animals 
of various kinds of Sea Pens, Corals, and Corallines, 
and also some Coralloid plants, preserved in spirits. 
Cases 15 and 16, between the windows, contain some 
preserved Saurian and Ophidian Reptiles and Amphibia; 
as several species of Monitors; the Guana, used as 
food in the West Indies, the Frilled Lizard (Chlamy- 
dosaurusJ, from New Holland, which has a large ruff 
on each side of its neck, just before the shoulders. 
The Sea Snakes, with flat lanceolate tails, and se¬ 
veral specimens of the Cobra Capella, one of the most 
venomous of the serpent tribe. Over this Case is a 
large Indian Tortoise. 
The Table Cases contain Crustacea and Insects. 
Nos. 1—8 contain the Brachiuri, or short-tailed 
Crustacea, of which Nos. 1—5 are Crabs. Amongst 
these are specimens of the Swimming Crabs, of the ge¬ 
nera Polybius, Portunus, Podophthalmus, &c. These 
animals have the posterior leg terminated by very flat 
joints, of an oval or orbicular form, and calculated to 
act as fins in swimming. The last pair of legs in all 
the Swimming Crabs, are constantly furnished with 
these flattened joints, and in some species the preced¬ 
ing pairs have them also, but never so broad as those 
of the hind legs. The eyes of the Telescope Crab 
(Podophthalmus spinosus), are supported on very long 
slender pedicles, reaching from the middle of the an¬ 
terior margin of the shell to the lateral angles, and 
lodged, when at rest, in a groove on the edge. This is 
the 
