The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1891-07-23
CALIFORNIA FIG SYRUP co.
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. NEW YORK, NY.
E PLURISUS UNUM,
Peculiarities That Would Mako This q
Suitable Motto for Starfish.

suitable MOTTO Tor u StafIlSlI.
The attack of starlish upon an
oyster may be likcncd TO IN assault by
organized conspirators, inasmuch as
each of these tive-iinpered animals is
composed of five distinct individuals"
said scientist. Each of the star
ish's five arms has its own mind, nerv-
Gus system and thoughts, such as they
are, and all five nerve systems simply
meet i'll the center where the arms are
joined. Thus it may be said that the
mental guidance of this complex Great
ure and the management of its affairs
are intrusted to a board of five mem
bers, who have communication with
each other but act without the inter-
mediation of a presiding officer. Now.
is it not wonderful that such Il quintet
should be able to manage its affairs so
well and with such agreement of pur-
pose in everything? SHppOsng that
each of the five individuals attempted
to 90 where it listed without giving
any heed to the Others the animal
could not reach q choice bit of food,
espied from afar with the eye of one of
its members, nor travel in any direc-
ton with Il purpose in view. But, as
a matter of fact proved by observa-
ton, when 4 StariiSh IS spying after
food it lifts the ends of its five arms so
that the eye beneath each extremity
may get view of things in the neigh
borhood, and if any object worth 60
ing after is discovered all the many
hundreds of sucker-likc feet beneath
the five arms are seen to push out to-
gether in the direction of the morsel
desired. There is Il unity of intention
among the partners that implies un-
mlStakably 4 conscious sharing Of aim
and design. The same thing is shown
by the way many star-tshes 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 90 with
three or four arms, holding fast until
the last moment with the remaining,
as if to calculate the leap.
MY observations on this subject
have inclined me to think that matters
of concerted action with starliSh have
not infrcquently TO be effected bv first
obtaining the assent of an individual
ray that is willing. 1t is known that
these creatures sometimes divide them
selves voluntarily into thrcc-armed
and a two-armcd portion, which may
be regarded rs the violent dissolution
of business and domestic relations once
happy. but grown inharmonious. A
starlish will often cast off one of its
arms and leave it behind. perhaps be-
cause the member is not found agree
able to live with. If rubber band or
4 string is fastened around an arm of
one of these animals and it cannot
push the annoyance off with its other
arms the starlish will throw the trou-
blesOme arm away, not desiring to re-
tain the companionship of such Grip
pie. Stariish are like human beings
in many ways. Then the animal
which has thus deprived itself of ray
grows a 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 starfish
itself. Being the biggest it is presum-
ably for long time the boss Of the
five, which must be gratifying. A few
years ago people who caught startish
in the oyster beds destroyed them, rs
they thought. by cutting them in
halves and throwing them overheard,
but the process was not very effective,
inasmuch as every one thus treated
promptly became two = Washington
Star.