Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-07-16
THE STARFISH.
Ii Can Divide Into Sections, Each Begin
ming on Its Own Account.

The attack of starfsh upon an OYSTER
may be likened to an assault by organized
consplrators, lnasmuch as each of these
hve fingered animals is composed of five
distinct individuals, says the Washington
Star. Each Of the starfsh's FIVE arms has
Its own mind, nervous system. and
thoughts, such as they are, and all five
nerve systems simply meet in the center,
where the arms are joined. Thus il may
be said that the mental guidance of this
complex creature and the management of
Its atfans are instructed to board of FIVE
member who have communication
with each other, but act without
the Instrumentation of presiding officer.
Now, Is 1T not wonderful that such
quintet should be able to manage its affairs
so we'll and with such agreement of pur-
pose IN everything? Surprising that each
OF the five individuals attempted TO go
where 1t listed without giving any heed
to the others, the animal could not reach
choice bit of food, eSpied from afar
with the eye of one of its members, nor
travel IN any direction with a purpose in
view
But, as matter of fact proved by OBJ
servatlon, when a starfsh is spying after
TODD 1t hits the ends of its five arms so
that the eye beneath each extremity NAV
get view of things in the neighborhood.
and II any object worth going after is dis
covered all the many hundreds of sucker
Iteellke between the five arms are seen to
out together in the direction of the
morsel desired.
there is unit of intention among the
partners that implies Enthusiastically a con-
scl0us-s harlng aim and design The same
thing is shown by the way many Starfshes
have OF letting themselves drop from steep
rocks and cliffs, in order to save the
trouble of laborious climbing down. In
such cases. before they relinquish their
hold and drop, they let go with three or
four arms, holding fast until the last mo-
ment with the remaining, as if to calcu-
late the leap.
My observations on this subject have in
cllned me to think that matters of concert
ed action with starish have not infrequ-
emily to be affected by first obtaining the
assent of an individual ray that is willing.
1t Is known that these creatures sometimes
divide them voluntarily into a three
armed and twoarmed portion, which may
be regarded as the violent dissolution of
business and domestic relations once
happy, but grown inharmonious A star
fish will often cast off one of its arms and
leave it behind, perhaps because the mem
Der is not found agreeable to live with.
If a rubber band or a string is fastened
around an arm of one of these animals and
1t can not push the annoyance off with its
other arm, the starfsh will throw the
troublesome arm away, not desiring to re-
tain the mpanionship of such cripple.
Star6sh dre like human beings In many
ways. Then the animal, witch has thus
deprived itself of ray, grows new one
in place of the old
As for the arm that is dropped it
promptly proceeds to grow four new arms,
thus becoming whole starfsh itself Be.
ing the biggest it is presumable for long
time the boss of the FIVE, which must be
gratifying. A few years ago people who
caught starfsh in oyster beds destroyed
them, as they thought, by cutting them in
halves and throwing them overheard, but
the process was not very effective, mas
much as every one thus treated promptly
became two.