New-York tribune., 1904-08-07
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Little men ana women who spend the summer at
the seashore ought 10 try to all the interesting
things they can while they there. and If they
have never looked for them, they will be surprised
90 find how many treasures there are IN the sea.
There is the starish. sea-star for instance
All the little folks who know anything about the
sesshore have him. or least his empty coat.
but not many, probably, have taken the trouble TO
get acquainted with him. Yet he IS a very snter-
esung little fellow. ard worth knowing. His morals
very good # is true in spite OF his pretty
name and pretty clothes. but It IS not necessary 10
Smitate him.
The worst fault OF the star6sh is that he is
terrible glutton. and viii do anything FOR the sake
of q good meal He IS IN fact, simply a walking
etomach. or rather collection Of ston,achs for he
has several Of these organs IN The middle Of his
body and others IN his arms. He is always hungry
'-and no wonderland sometimes he Is IN such a
hurry for his dinner that he can't take time to eat
st properly but just shoves his main stomach out
OF his mouth and wraps II around the food
The staThsh viii eat anything that comes IN his
way, and for that reason has been called the
seavenser Of the sea. but he likes oysters better
than almost anything else. and no makes q great
deal OF trouble for the oystermen.
How be gets at the oyster has long been a puz-
ne 70 naturaiists for oyster shell is not easy TO
open, and II isn't likely that the oyster would
unlock his front door and ask Mr Starash 20 walk
in However. the thing turns to be quite simple
and any little man or woman who wants to visit
the Children's Museum In Brooklyn can sea inst
how Il is done. The starfish places his body d.
secuy over the oysters front door and spreads his
arms down over the two halves OF the shell Then
he CLUES his feet firmly TO the shell ana tries TO
Etraighten out his arms. Then comes tug-of-vvar
between the oyster and the starlsh, the starnsh
trying TO pull the shell open and the oyster trying
30 keep shut The oyster gets tired first. and then
The game Is up The starash opens the shell far
enough to get his stomach inside and proceeds n
digest the unhappy oyster
20 la
oughly systematic way They travel IN shoals
from one oyster bed to another. and often destroy
a farm IN short time To get rid Of them the
oyster men drag the water above the beds with
bars OF iron TO which punches OF raveIled rope
are fastened The splnes OF the starfsh catch 4,
The rope and they are brought up by the hundreds
They are thea killed BY steaming or are thrown
on the beach above the high water mark. Formerly
the oystermen used to break them in pieces and
throw them back into the sea: but they know
better now, for each " those pieces probably
grew into q new starhsh- A starfish doesn't mind
having its arms pulled of a bit II can easily
sFow s new ones. and the arms grow into com
p.ete animals Sometimes the starfsh throws lis
erns on OF its own accord. and there is one
sil 70 pieces when it is frightened or put on
- sOosS III enEtning There Is no use trying TO catch
swim on In different directions - -N' '~7
sssll gt i IS not fair 10 the starsh to talk only
.stsE tlcee Ehey have virtues. too and one o.
,lese Is very uncommon one among the inhabit.
Very little about f the qhyo Sou5F animals 4beS OF s fh
eIop their eggs into the water and let them shif,
lOr themselves; but The starfsh are most ca refu
&c tender parents They hatch the eggs in little
b2sket which they make with their own bodies IN
,oInlns over on their backs and stretching theii
Ars upward In this position they can netheI
Walk nor eat terrible deprivation 10 such hl1npry
the baby Etsrfsh are hatched ~
OF course the little folks know, that trs s+ore.r
.s net really nsh. A flsh has a backbone ana th1
ssstisn has none: Il belongs TO the family OF thc
lxastes; that Is its body IS arranged in rays The
Sgsi1lon starnsh. which the little folks are mos
ci them have many as FORTY " - ~
On each Of these i've rays the common st.-as,
hAs about four hundred feet. Running throiIsh ~.
o%n"~ al ssnh ray. On the under sIds Is a iitfi,