388 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, September 25. 1860. 
HEATING A PIT. 
I purpose having a pit for Melons, Cucumbers, 1 &c., in four 
compartments. The pit will be thirty feet long, and six feet wide, 
and I want to know if hot water or horse-dung will be the best 
to heat it with, and which will give the least trouble. The pit 
will have a south aspect.—A Subscriber, E. 
[There can be no question that hot water for such a purpose 
is far preferable to hot dung, as respects trouble. Your divisions 
will be small. It is possible to heat each separately without the 
others ; but this will increase the expense. We have given such 
a pit, though with divisions, bottom heat and top heat all the 
way without stoppage. In winter we used it all for bedding 
plants, and gave heat only when needed. In spring we used part 
for Cucumbers and Melons, and the other part for Strawberries, 
and gave the last plenty of air to keep down the heat. Had we 
only one such pit, we would give bottom heat to the one half, 
and top heat too, and only top heat to the other half.] 
CULTURE OE YAEIEGATED SCOTCH KALE, 
AND YAEIEGATED HYDEANGEAS. 
Please to direct me as to cultivation of the coloured-leaved 
Scotch Kale that is used for garnishing. My variegated Hy¬ 
drangeas, of which I had a good stock this spring, have all turned 
to a nasty grey colour. Those in pots and in borders are all 
alike. Shall I desert the stock, or will the variegation return ? 
—H. B. 
[We use the variegated Scotch Kale as freely as any other 
for the table, though it is also pretty for garnishing. If wanted 
all the year round, sow in August and April. We generally 
sow in April, and plant out in summer. It retains its variegated 
form when boiled. What we had sown for the variegated has 
come rather plain this season. It is best to save seed from a 
good plant. In some red, and in others white predominates. If 
prevented seeding there are less ornamental plants for the flower 
garden. 
The variegated Hydrangea keeps its rich tints best when 
grown in a higher temperature than the greenhouse. Try a little 
extra heat with those you have, and most likely you will be 
satisfied. In such a season as this I find they get shabby out of 
doors.] 
WHAT TO LOOK EOE ON THE SEASHOEE. 
{Continued from page 376.) 
Echinodermata {Continued'). 
Asteriad,®. 
The next group of Echinodermata we have to take into con¬ 
sideration is that called Asteriadae, or, more popularly, true Star 
Fishes, which are cirrhigrade, in contradistinction to the classes 
previously mentioned, and which it will be remembered were 
spinigrade. The British species of Asteriadse are divided into 
four families by Professor Forbes, who thus classifies them_ 
“ I. The Urasterice. —Stellate Star Fishes, with rounded arms 
and four rows of suckers in each avenue. Of this family we 
have but one genus, Uraster. 
“ II. The SolastericB. —Also stellate (sometimes multiradiate), 
with rounded arms, but only two ranges of suckers in each 
avenue. Such as Cribella and Solaster. 
“III. The Goniasterioe (Angular Stars), which are penta¬ 
gonal, and have two ranges of suckers. To this family belong 
the Asteria, Palmipes, and Goniaster. And 
“IV. The Asteria, including Asterias and Luidia, stellate 
Star Fishes, with the upper surface of the body flat.” 
The number five, as usual, regulates this species, although 
variation is more common than among the other classes of 
Echinodermata. 
Urasteri.c. 
The Spiny Cross Fish {Uraster glacialis).— This animal 
has long, pentangular, tapering rays, furnished with powerful 
spines. It grows to an uncommon size, and has been known to 
reach a diameter, including body and rays, of thirty-three inches, 
the longest ray measuring fourteen inches; but it varies greatly 
in its proportions. It is of a reddish or orange colour, or 
reddish-brown; occasionally it is found of a bright red. There 
is one remarkable peculiarity in this creature—namely, the very 
slight manner in which its rays are attached to its body. Indeed, 
great care must he taken in lifting it up ; for if raised by these 
loosely-fitting members there is every probability that they will 
be separated from the trunk. Perhaps, however, this dismember¬ 
ment may occur by an act of volition on the part of the animal, 
as was seen to be the case with the Brittle Stars. 
The Spiny Cross Fish is confined to the western coasts of Britain. 
It is found in Syke and elsewhere among the Hebrides, where it 
may be detected half buried in the sand at low water. It is met with 
also on the Irish coast, chiefly on a rocky bottom. It has been 
taken at Belfast, and is very abundant at Cork. Specimens also 
have been dredged in deep water off the Manx and Cornish 
coasts. It is, however, a rare species ; or it would be better to 
say, perhaps, that from its ordinarily frequenting rocky places in 
deep water, it is difficult to get at, rather than rare or uncommon. 
The variety found on the sandy beach of the Hebrides is an 
exception to the general rule of their deep water residence. 
Common Cross Fish {Uraster rubens). —This creature, which 
is vulgarly known as “ Five-Finger,” abounds on most parts of 
our shores. It is, indeed, the commonest native Uraster, being 
perpetually cast by the waves upon the sands, and left there by 
the retiring tide. Its colour varies. It is generally, however, of 
a dusky red, occasionally yellow or orange coloured, and some¬ 
times purple. It has usually five rays, although a specimen may 
frequently be found with six, and again with only four. They 
are rounded and taper to a point, and are commonly about three 
times as long as the disc is broad; the breadth of each being 
somewhat less than a third of its length. The “Five-Finger”' 
is furnished abundantly with spines, and measures frequently 
more than a foot across, although its more usual size is about 
nine inches. 
It has the power of reproducing its rays, and seems to suffer 
very little inconvenience from the loss of one of them, although a 
supplementary stomach is contained in each. It is a popular 
belief among the oyster-dredgers, that the “Five-Finger” gets 
maimed in this manner in consequence of its predilection for that 
bivalve luxury, and that when the oyster incautiously opens 
its shell, the “Five-Finger,” awaiting that opportunity, thrusts 
one of its rays into the opening, the oyster immediately closes 
its shells upon the intruding member, and detains it firmly. The 
proprietor of the imprisoned arm, unable to extricate it, breaks it 
deliberately off from the body and hurries off, wisely preferring 
the loss of a limb to the loss of life; but this is an idle fable. 
We have seen in a previous chapter the mode in which the 
animal helps itself to an oyster. 
There is another peculiarity affirmed to belong to the “ Five- 
Finger”—namely, the power of secreting an acrid fluid from the 
surface, which will burn the skin of any one who handles it. This 
statement has obtained general credit, but would seem to be very- 
problematical. Professor Forbes, whose authority is unquestion- 
