1908 Coi^GAN. — So)ne County Dublin Holothuriaris. 71 



Holothurians with suckers and tentacles i\A\y displayed. On 

 more leisurely examination at home the species proved to be 

 Ocnus br2mnens of Forbes' British Starfishes, apparently new 

 for County Dublin and for East Ireland, or Marine District 

 II. of Mr. Nichols' List. On the spray of zoophyte examined 

 there were six individuals of Ocnns bmmieiis, ranging in size 

 from quarter inch to three-quarter inch, and agreeing closely 

 in form and colour with Forbes' figure and description. 

 Three of them lived with me for four days, creeping rather 

 rapidly up and down the sides of the tube in which they were 

 lodged, and freel}' displaying their tentacles. As in C pen- 

 tactes, so in all three individuals of Ocmcs briinneus which I 

 examined, two of the ten tentacles were much smaller than 

 the remaining eight, and the smaller tentacles were in all 

 cases contiguous. The colour of the whole animal, body, 

 suckers, and tentacles, was a rich chocolate brown. 



Thyonk fUvSus (J. F. Miiller). 



Tliyone papulosa^ Forbes Brit. Starfishes. 



A single specimen of this species three-quarter inch in 

 lenQ:th was taken in the same haul with Ocnus bnmnezcs on 

 the nth August, 1906. It lived with me for two days and a 

 half, never displaying its tentacles, but perpetually changing 

 its form. The changes were so smooth and gradual as to be 

 followed b}' the eye with great difficulty. At one time the 

 animal appeared to suffer from swelled head, the anterior end 

 becoming swollen to twice the diameter of the remaining 

 portion. Then an almost imperceptible wave would be pro- 

 pagated downwards along the body, the head would dwindle 

 to normal size, and the whole animal assume a roughly cylin- 

 drical or oval form. But before long a severe fit of tight 

 lacing would supervene. A deep constriction in the centre 

 of the body would threaten to sever the animal in two, then 

 the central pressure would be somewhat relieved and a second 

 constriction would appear dividing the body into three 

 swollen segments. While the animal lived this change of 

 form, appeared to be going on with greater or less rapidity, 

 only the extreme tail end retaining throughout its com- 

 paratively slender proportions. 



3andycove, County Dubhn. 



