Identifier: popularhistoryof00sowe (find matches)
Title: Popular history of the aquarium of marine and fresh-water animals and plants
Year: 1857 (1850s)
Authors: Sowerby, George Brettingham, 1788-1854
Subjects: Aquariums Marine biology Freshwater biology
Publisher: London : Lovell Reeve
Contributing Library: MBLWHOI Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MBLWHOI Library

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further researches in a me-moir published in the Edinburgh New Philosophical Jour-nal/ from which it appeared that his Pentacrinus Europcpuswas nothing but a Feather-star in a young state; and thatthe Comatidai in fact, began life as a fixed star and endedit as a wandering comet. In other words, the starry headfloats off the stem, and the animal becomes free. First, like a polype, bending on its stem,Its rays are spread, a stany diadem ;It feels new powers, it struggles to be free,Then roams at large, unfettered in the sea. In some tribes the reverse of this takes place, and the ani-mal, free in infancy, becomes grave and sedentary with age.The gradations marking the change in Comattda are tracedand explained by Mr. Tliompson. He observed the advancedPentacrinite beginning to form piunse; then the dorsal cirrhiincreased from fivs to nine; then the detached Comatula, inwhich the pinn?e are nearly complete. These small ComatulcBretain the original yellow colour of the Pentacrinite near
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STAR-PISHES. 173 the top of the arms, while the lower part and body aregradually assuming the red colour of the adult Peather-star. Professor Torbes says, When a freshly-caught Feather-star is plunged into cold fresh-water it dies in a state ofcontraction; but if not so killed, or else, if not killed inspirit, it breaks itself into pieces, like an Opidura. Whendying, either in fresh-water or in spirits, it gives out a mostbeautiful purple colour, which tinges the liquid in which itwas killed. This colour has been long retained in spirits.The fact was long ago noted by Bartholinus, who observedit at Naples, and whose observations on it will be found ina note to Tabius Columna. In captivity, says Mr. Gosse, the Teather-star sitsupon the frond of a seaweed, or upon the projecting angleof rock, which it grasps very firmly with its clawed fila-ments ; so firmly, that it is diincult to tear it from its hold.When violence is used, it catches hold of its support, or anyother object within rea

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