216 Zoological Society : — 



1. Synapta digitata (Holothuria), Montagu. 



The earliest account of this species appears to have been given by 

 Montagu *, who discovered it on the coast of Devonshire, and cor- 

 rectly observed its affinity with the Holothuria inhcerens of the 

 'Zoologia Danica,' but pointed out its characteristic difference by the 

 epithet " digitata.'' It has four fingers to each of the twelve ten- 

 tacles, and a minute thumb, which has been overlooked by all ob- 

 servers except J. Miiller. It was again found, prior to 1818, by 

 Cranch (the Naturalist to the Congo Expedition), whose specimens 

 are preserved in the British Museumf. In 1844 Mr. Joshua Alder 

 discovered it on the west coast of Scotland, the most northern lo- 

 cality yet known. He says in a letter : — '* I dredged the true digi- 

 tata of Montagu in Rothsay Bay in 1844. At that time I could 

 have got any number of specimens, though it was confined pretty 

 nearly to one spot in shallow water. They broke themselves up so 

 that it w^s impossible to keep them entire ; I, however, made a 

 drawing of one at the time, which I now send for your inspection." 

 Mr. Alder further states that he had received specimens from Mr. 

 Barlee, dredged in Birterbuy Bay and at the Arran Isles, on the 

 west coast of Ireland. 



In 1845 Mr. Alder again met with this species in Torbay ; and 

 in January 1854 the Rev. Charles Kingsley " collected many living 

 specimens on the beach, near Torquay, washed ashore after a heavy 

 gale." 



In the 'Contributions to the Fauna of Falmouth' for 1853, by 

 Mr. W. P. Cocks, this Synapta is figured and described, but not 

 very minutely. *'The specimens procured measured from 2^ to 

 4^ inches in length, and about ^ inch in diameter. Found in the 

 blue mud and sand, Helford ; plentiful in particular localities ; Fal- 

 mouth, very rare." 



The Synapta digitata ranges southward to the Mediterranean, 

 and seems to be very common on the shores of the Adriatic near 

 Trieste, ^nce J. Miiller speaks of finding the ** molluskigerous sacs " 

 in upwards of 70 individuals %. By the kindness of Dr. Hartmann 

 of Berlin, we have received examples from the same locality. It was 

 not found by Prof. Edward Forbes in the iEgean ; the specimens 

 distributed by him were taken by Mr. Mac Andrew in Vigo Bay, on 

 the north-east coast of Spain, in the year 1849. Last year (1857) 

 we accompanied Mr. MacAndrew in a second dredging excursion to 

 the same coast, and obtained numerous examples of the Synapta in 

 1 0-fathom water, a few miles below the town of Vigo ; they had been 

 previously found in shallow water, on the quarantine ground, about 

 twelve miles higher up the bay. The specimens were small, none 

 exceeding 6 inches in length and i inch in diameter. In colour 

 they were dull purplish red, slightly darker in front and on the back, 

 and marked with five pale bands, indicating the longitudinal muscles 



* Linn. Trans, xi. p. 22. t. 4. f. 6. 

 t Gray, Catalogue of British Radiata, p. 12. 



X Ueber S. digitata und iiber die Erzeugung von Schnecken in Ilolothurien. 

 4to. Berlin, 1852. 



