the apodous holothueians 125 



Trochodota VENTJSTA. 



Plate VII, Figs. 1-4. 



Chiroflota venusfa Semon, 1887, p. 27G; pi. 9, fig^ 1-3; pi. 10. figs. 8, 14, 15. 

 Trochodota venusta Ludwig, 1892Z). 

 Sigmodota venusta Ostergren, 1898&. 



Length. — Up to 27 mm. 



CoLOB. — Nearly transparent, with a reddish tinge, due to very minute pig- 

 ment-cells in the skin. 



DisTKiBTJTiON. — ^Reported only from the Bay of Naples (Semon). 



Eemarks. — This curious little species occurs among the roots of eel-grass 

 and is apparently quite rare. Nothing is known of it beyond Semon 's original 

 account. He speaks of sensory-organs on the tentacles, but gives no details in 

 regard to them. 



SCOLIODOTA, gen. nov. 



(cTKoAtos, criiokcd, -|- SoTos, gnmtrcl, given; in reference to the crooked sigumid Ixiilirs and to 



agree in termination with Chiridota.) 



Tentacles 10. Digits 10 or more. Wheels wanting; calcareous particles 

 sigmoid bodies only, commonly arranged in groups. 



This is a monotypic genus, apparently quite closely related to Ta>niogyrus, 

 confined to the East Indian region, but ranging from Japan to Australia. 



SCOLIODOTA JAPONICA. 



Plate VII, Fig. 5. 



Cliirodota japonica von Marenzeller, 1881, p. 123. 



CJiiruiJotd japonica Thecl, ISSfia, p. 17. Sigmoid bodies, pi. ii_, fig. 3. 



Anapta japonica Ludwig, 1893&. 



Sigmodota japonica Ostergren, 1898b. 



Length. — More than 40 mm. (v. Marenzeller) and up to 170 mm. (Theel). 



Color. — In life, blood-red (v. Marenzeller) ; in alcohol, whitish gray or pale 

 brownish violet, with numerous small dark I'cd or violet papilke (Theel). 



Distribution. — Reported only from Eno-sima, Japan (v. Marenzeller) and 

 Port Jackson, Australia (Theel). 



Remarks. — Theel says that his specimens were highly incomplete, and it 

 is not impossible that they represent a species quite distinct from the Japanese 

 one, although, so far as I can see from the specimens in the National Museum, 

 they agree perfectly with v. Marenzeller 's description. It is not at all likely 

 that wheels are normally present in this species, but much more extensive ma- 

 terial is necessary before the matter can be considered settled beyond question. 



TOXODORA Verrill, 1882. 



Tentacles 12. Digits numerous, 10-16. Wheels wanting; calcareous par- 

 ticles consist exclusively of "minute, slender plates in the shape of a bow or 

 parenthesis with the ends incurved." 



