8 BULLETIN OF THE 



Holothuria Marenzelleri, Ludwig (var. ?). 



Although there exist some differences between our specimens and those 

 described by Ludwig, still I refer them to the above species on account of the 

 great similarity which I find to exist in several essential structural points. All 

 the specimens are of a dark brown color, and the largest reaches a length of 

 110 mm. in a contracted state. There are twenty tentacles. The anus is round. 

 Contrary to what seems to be the case in the typic Holothuria Marenzelleri, the 

 pedicels do not run out from warts, at least not the ventral ones; in some more 

 contracted specimens, however, the dorsal pedicels give the impression of do- 

 ing so. The dorsal pedicels do not seem to be true pedicels, but papillae of a 

 conical form, while the ventral whitish ones are longer, cylindrical, and pro- 

 vided with distinct light brown sucking disks. The ventral pedicels are pos- 

 sibly slightly more numerous than the dorsal papillae. I have observed a low 

 furrow along each side of the body, marking out the transition between the 

 dorsal and ventral surfaces. The calcareous ring is of usual shape. Three 

 larger and some smaller Polian vesicles are present. A single madreporic 

 canal is to be found. The genital organ consists of a single bundle of slender, 

 slightly branched tubes situated on the left side of the dorsal mesentery. The 

 ampullae of the dorsal and ventral appendages are distinctly visible on the 

 inner surface of the skin. 



The deposits consist of short rods, which, however, very seldom remain 

 simple, but have the ends slightly dichotomously branched so that they have 

 the aspect of an X ; very often the branches of these deposits are united, the 

 rods themselves thus becoming transformed into perforated plates or jjlate-like 

 rods. A great part of the deposits also have the shape of small, very irregular, 

 smooth plates, perforated with a few (two to ten) holes, and spinous in the 

 uneven margin. 



For my own part I must confess that most of those so-called species of Holo- 

 thuria which are characterized by having calcareous rods or small plates in the 

 skin resemble each other very closely, and that a revision of them is highly 

 desirable. Thus, the specimens from the Galapagos Archipelago also bear a 

 striking resemblance to Holothuria lubrica, Selenka. 



Habitat. Charles Island and James Island, Galapagos Archipelago (Hass- 

 ler Exp., 1872). Numerous large and small specimens. 



Cucumaria californica, Semper. 



A detailed examination of the specimens shows several differences from the 

 type, but considering that Semper's specimen only attained half the size of 

 the specimens at my disposal, and that they are dredged at the same locality, I 

 must suppose that they represent the same species. 



The body is ovate, and possesses ten nearly equal tentacles. The large 

 pedicels form a double row along each ambulacrum ; the interambulacra are 



