Professor Jones, who affirms that in the latter suggestion Sir J. Dalyell has nearly hit upon the true solution of the problem, thus gives what _he_ considers to be the correct mode of procedure on the part of the Star-fish: 'Grasping its shell-clad prey between its rays, and firmly fixing it by means of its prehensile suckers, it proceeds deliberately to turn its stomach inside out, embracing in its ample folds the helpless bivalve, and perhaps at the same time instilling some torpifying fluid, for the shells of the poor victim seized soon open, and it then becomes an easy prey.' Now, many fishermen with whom I have conversed hold the same opinion as Bishop Spratt, and believe that when the oyster is gaping the Star-fish insinuates a finger, and hastily scrapes out the delicious mouthful; nay, further maintain that the Star-fish is far from being successful at all times, very often, especially when there has only been one ray inserted, the frightened oyster grasps it with all his might, and obliges his discomfited opponent to retire minus a limb. If the writer might venture to suggest an opinion, he would express his belief that the following is the correct account of the state of matters. He believes with the fishermen that frequently the star-fish begins his attack by inserting an arm, but he does not believe that the oyster under such circumstances escapes with life. Let us suppose the star-fish to have succeeded in insidiously introducing a ray within the shell of the apathetic oyster, and that the oyster immediately resented such intrusion by closing his shell with all the force he can exert. The opposite argument at this stage is, that the intruder is obliged from _pain_ to abandon his hold, and even pay for his audacity by the forfeit of a limb. But against this we advance the notorious fact, that the star-fish, like so many marine creatures of a similar organization, is remarkably indifferent to pain. I therefore believe the true explanation to be, that the oyster being unable to sustain such continued muscular exertion for nearly so long a time as the star-fish can tolerate the pressure upon its ray, the latter is consequently, in the long run, successful. The number of rays in the several genera of the true Star-fishes is extremely various. In the genus _Uraster_, as we have seen, five is the predominant number. If we turn to the two species which comprise the genus _Cribella_, we still find the quintuple arrangement adhered to. In _Solaster endeca_, on the contrary, the rays vary from nine to eleven, and even reach as high as twelve or fifteen in _Solaster papposa_.