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RADIATA. 
THE STAR-FISH. (Asterias gladalis.) 
THIS animal is often found adhering to rocks on the sea- 
shores. The common species is furnished with five rays, 
and is of a yellow or red colour. It has a slow and 
progressive motion, and is often found on the beach among 
sea-weeds after a storm ; but when caught it very soon 
decays, scarcely bearing to be carried a hundred yards 
before it becomes soft and putrid. 
Mr. Bingley describes an animal of this kind, which 
he kept by him for some time alive ; it had more than 
four thousand tentacula on the under sides of the rays. 
These the creature frequently retracted, and again pushed 
out, as a snail does its horns; and by means of them it 
was enabled firmly to adhere to the dish containing salt- 
water in which it was kept. Whenever he touched the 
tentacula with his finger, all those of that ray or limb 
