THE- 
ESCULENT ECHINUS. 
/Generic Character. 
Body covered with a futured cruft, generally fur- 
nilhed with moveable fpines. 
Mouth quinquevalve, placed beneath. 
Specific Character, (^c. 
SUBGLOBOSE ECHINUS, with fliort violet- 
coloured fpines. 
The COMMON ECHINUS, or SEA-URCHIN. 
The Echini, or Sea-Urchins, as they are fome- 
times called, form an extremely numerous genus, of 
which the fpecies differ greatly from each other in 
point of fliape and general appearance. Several are 
natives of our own country, but by far the major 
part are exotic animals. Of the Britifh fpecies the 
moft common is that reprefented on the plate, which 
is very frequently found on many of our coafts. 
The animal is of a foft fabric, and the body is 
marked as it were into a certain number of parts or 
divilions, not ill refembling thofe of an orange : 
the mouth is fituated at the lower or under part, 
and 
