148 A DAY ON THE CROUCH RIVER.
were so brilliantly deep purple as I had seen them in the Blackwater
in the spring. Several of the larger stinging Cyanaea capillata were
noticed, and the slippery crystal globes of Cydippe pomiformis were
not uncommon.
Six species of Echinodermata were found. The Common Sand-
star (Ophioglypha ciliata) in great abundance, many hundreds in
some hauls, the writhing and squirming of so many flexible arms
presenting a curious spectacle. The Lesser Sand-star (O. albida) also
occurred with it, but it was much scarcer. Within certain limits the
disks of these two species varied much in colour. The Common
Brittle-star Ophiothrix pentaphyllum, Penn. (rosula, Link), was by no
means common, only two or three specimens being noticed. The
Five-finger (Uraster rubens) was far too abundant in our host's eyes ;
in one haul of the dredge as many as seventy-five were brought in,
all young and violet coloured ; they turn orange and red later. One
violet coloured fellow might have been Uraster violacea, if that species
be really distinct from U. rubens; it was the only large violet one caught
during the day. The "Five-finger" is a great oyster enemy, sucking
out the animal and leaving only "a clock" behind. The voracious
Sun-star (Solaster papposa), was not common, but all were very
bright in colour ; specimens with eleven, twelve and thirteen rays
were brought home. The only Sea-urchin met with was the purple-
tipped species (Echinus miliaris), and this occurred commonly—
again too commonly—from the size of a sixpence to that of a five-
shilling piece (Forbes says it attains 13/4 inch sometimes).
The "ross already spoken of consists of the crowded tubes of a
Serpula, I believe Filograna implexa, and all that were noticed as
"live," i.e., containing the living worms, was well crushed under foot.
Nephtys and Nereis were common amongst the "rubbish" or "stuff,"
but the only other Annelid that calls for mention was a living speci-
men of Pectinaria belgica, dredged on the sandy bottom off Holly-
well. The smooth, sandy conical tube was a large one, and the beau-
tiful orange comb (branchial cilia) of the enclosed worm, which
Gosse says "seems to be made of burnished gold," was soon shown
busy at work when the worm was placed in a small bottle of sea-
water. Mr. Crouch was on the look-out for tubes of Terebellidae or
Sabella, as likely to contain minute shells, but none turned up.
Several Polyzoa were noticed, but they were not well known to
us. Dead Lepraliae were very common on the shells of oysters, mus-
sels, whelks, the carapaces of the various crabs, and on Laminaria