The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-05-26
r. PLURfBUS UNJM.
Pecufiarittes that Would Make this Suifa-
BILE Motto for n Starfish.

1.-THE attack of starfish upon an oyster
may be likened TO an assault by organized con-
spirators. inasmuch as each of these five
fingered animals is composed of five distinct
individuals" said q scientist. Each of the
startish's five arms has its own mind, nervous
system, and thoughts such as they are. and all
five nerve systems simply meet in the centre
where the arms are joined Thus it may be
said that the mental guidance of this complex
creature and the management of It's affairs are
intrusted TO q board of five members who
have communication With each other. but act
without the INTERPRETATION Of presiding
officer. Now, is it not wonderful that such
quintet should be able 10 manage its affairs so
we'll and with such agreement Of purpose IN
everything? Surprising that each or the hve
individuals attempted TO go where II hsted
without giving any heed TO the others, the
animal could not reach a choice bit OF food,
espied from afar with the eve of one of Its
members, nor travel in any direction with Il
purpose in view. But as a matter OF fact
proved by observation. when a starfish IS
spying alter food it lifts the ends OF
its five arms so that the eye beneath each eX-
tremity may get view Of things IN the neigh
borhOod, and If any object worth gong aIter
is discovered all the many hundreds OF
sucker-like feet beneath the FIVE arms are
seen to push out together in the direction OF
the morsel desired. There is a unity Of nten-
ton among the partners that implies unms-
takably a conscious sharing OF aim and design.
The same thing Is shown by the way many
star fishes 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 thor hold
and drop they let go with three or four arms
holding fast until the last moment with the
remaining as if to calculate the leap.
My observation on this subject have in
clined me TO think that matter OF concerted
action with starfsh have not infrequently 70
be effected by first obtaining the assent an
individual ray that is willing It's known that
these creatures sometimes divide themselves
voluntarily into three-armed and two
armed portion. which may be regarded as the
violent dissolution of business and domestic
relations once happy but grown inharmonl-
ous A starfsh will soon cast oil one Of It's
arms and leave it behind, perhaps because the
member is not found agreeable to live with.
II rubber band or a string IS fastened around
an arm of one of these animals and 1t cannot
push the annoyance of with It's other arms
the starfsh will throw the troublesome arm
away. not desiring TO retain the companion
ship OF such a cripple. Startsh are like hui
man beings i'm many ways Then the animal
which has thus deprived itself OF ray grows
new one in place OF the old.
Al for the arm that is dropped 1t prompt
" proceeds to grow four new arms, thus be-
coming a whole starhsh Itself. Being the big
gest it is presumably for long time the boss
of the five. which must be gratifying A few
wears ago people who caught stariish in the
oyster beds destroyed them, as they thought.
by cutting them in halves and throwing them
overheard but the process was not very Ell
fectiye inasmuch as every one thus treated
promptly became two. Washington Star.