The History fANlMALS.

9i

Afterias radiis tredecim obtufts.

The Afters with this seen obtuse rays.

This is a very singular species: it has scarce any distinguishable central part or body;the rays stand so close, that they cohere for pi or L than half their length, only separatingtoward their points; they are thick, short, and obtuse ; the diameter of the wholeanimal is about two inches and a half, and it’s colour a reddi£h-brown : it is very ten-der and friable, and the whole upper surface is covered with, short tentacula. H s

It is not uncommon on the coasts of the East Indies, and some other! places, s A -

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Afterias radiis quinque tenuioribus.The Afterias , with she fender rays.

This is a small species, the rays seldom N exceeding singly an. inch,and a quarter inlength : the body is small, the rays are of a conic figure; they are pointed at;the ex-tremity, and are all over covered on the upper surface, with fine - /bout and flexifejen-tacula : it is of a brownish-white colour, and very tender and friable.

It is frequent about the coasts of Italy , and in most of the seas that wash the warm-er parts of Europe . ~ """"

The other species of Asterias are, 1. The broad-bodied, short-rayed, five-rayedAsterias. 2. The large, obtuse,,and fhort-rayed Asterias. 3. The broad and undu-lated-rayed Asterias, with thick and pointed tentacula. 4. The broad, short, andstat-rayed, five-rayed Asteras, with short, hair-Me tentacula. 5* The Asterias, ^ withfive short, obtuse, elliptic rays. ' 6. The Asterias, with five, long, slender, arid undu-lated, hairy rays. 7. The Asterias, with five, broad, hairy, undulated rays. 8. TheAsterias, with five, narrow, thick rays, with the, tentacula as it were prickly9. .TheAsterias, with five, thick, narrow, and very sharp-pointed rays. 10. The Asterias,with five, broad, hollowed, and pointed rays. i i« The Asterias, with five deeplyfurrowed rays. 12, The Asterias, with twelve short-pointed fays* * 3 * The Asterias,With ten hairy and undulated ravs. . f™, with seven narrow and long

rays. 15. xne Aiterias, with seven broader and tuberculose rays. 16. I her Asterias,with three long, slender rays. 17. The Asterias, with numerous, hollowed rays.18. The Asterias, called the Sea Comet by authors! 19. The lumbrical Asterias.20. The narrow and hairy-armed Asterias. 2 i. The great Asterias, with ramose rays,called the Magellanic star-fish, and the bafket-fish: the extremities of the rays ofthis species are subdivided to an almost inconceivable fineness; arid the creature, whenit extends them fully, forms a circle of near three feet in diameter; the fragments ofthe rays of this filh furnish the fossils entrochi >

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