18 AKT. 8. 1. IKEDA : THREE NEW AND 



definite view as to the systematic position of the object supjoosed 

 to be an entire animal. Its remarkable size and shape effectually 

 held back idea of its being an Echiuroid proboscis. In 1900, 

 Mr. Yatsu took up the problematical object for a renewed 

 study. I was kindly allowed to examine his sections and 

 what at once called my attention was the close structural 

 resemblance of the object with an Echiuroid proboscis. After 

 making comparisons, Mr. Yatsu and myself were both convinced 

 of the fact that tlie object could be nothing else than an 

 enormously long proboscis torn off from an unknown Echiuroid, 

 the body proper of which has apparently never yet been obtained. 

 At this I was given a free hand to track out the species and to 

 continue the investigation. For this liberty and for placing all 

 his material at my disposal, I beg here to express my thanks to 

 Mr. Yatsu. 



During October and November 1901, I was at work in the 

 Misaki Marine Laboratory, endeavoring to obtain the entire animal 

 of the anticipated Echiuroid. With the kind assistance of Messrs. 

 TsucHiDA and Aoki of the Laboratory, I have finally had the 

 satisfaction of securing in all six specimens of the animal, all 

 living and with the body and proboscis in natural connection. 

 They were all females. 



As then ascertained by myself, the Echiuroid in question, 

 called by me Thalassema tœnioides, is by no means uncommon 

 in the neighborhood of tlie Misaki Marine Laboratory. I have 

 met with it most abundantly in the inlet Moroiso, right close to 

 the Laboratory. It inhabits sandy or rather muddy but firm 

 bottom, from between the tide-marks down to a depth of about 

 seven fathoms. There the worm lives concealed in the burrow. 

 Seen under water, the opening of the burrow appears as a small 



