Marvels of the Universe 607 
Every seaside tripper is familiar with the common orange-coloured Starfish, or “ Five-fingers,”’ 
that is flung up on the beach by the waves 
that is to say, familiar with its superficial appearance, 
as he has turned it over with toe or walking-stick, or viewed it in the pail of a treasure-seeking 
youngster. Not one in a thousand of such trippers or loungers on the sands has ever taken the 
trouble to consider this com- 
mon object of the shore ; but, 
in truth, it is one of the most 
marvellously contrived pieces 
of animated machinery that 
you can find. Turn it over 
again, and what do you see ? 
There are the five spine-clad 
arms, or “ fingers,” all united 
but no 
legs, no fins, or other apparent 
by their broad ends ; 
means of locomotion. It is 
even without a head, which 
most people would consider a 
sine qua non for success in the 
struggle for existence. That 
Five-fingers 7s a success in the 
battle of life we may assure 
ourselves by hunting around 
the base of the rocks at low- 
water; we shall find him 
represented there by numerous 
brothers and sisters, to say 
nothing of cousins. If you 
are on a part of the coast 
where oysters are laid down 
in beds to make them fit for 
the market, inquire of the 
fisher-folk what they think of 
live-fingers, and you will get 
a very bad character of him. 
They will tell you that he is 
one of the most troublesome 
enemies they have, and will 
probably add a little to the 
true facts of the case by re- 
Photo bi) (Z. Step, F.LS. 
lating to you how he inserts a SAND STARFISHES. 
Sand-stars and Brittle-stars are very touchy individuals, and manifest their 
finger into the oyster-shell and annoyance at any interference by snapping off their arms as readily as a lizard snaps 
hooks out the luscious inmate off his tail. By this means they are often enabled to escape from their enemies. 
to make himself a meal. Not only so, but that when they have with much labour baited their 
hooks and gone fishing, Five-fingers comes along and cleans off the bait. In addition, they will 
add, he crawls into their crab-pots and appropriates the bait that was intended to beguile the crab 
and lobster to their doom. 
Most of this is true, for Five-fingers has a catholic taste, though his preference is distinctly for 
“ shell-fish,” but he cannot insinuate his “‘ fingers” between the tightly-closed valves of the oyster’s 
