HOLOTHURIA. 55 



Next morning, the body, much reduced, hung perpendicularly down 

 the side of the vessel, while the cylinder protruded along with some 

 intestinal portion ; and this prolapsus gradually augmented. Yet the 

 branches were still partially unfolded in the feeblest exercise. — Plate 

 VIII. fig. 3. 



In the evenmg the whole organic mass separated from the body, 

 and fell into a watch-glass which had been introduced to receive it. 



When extricated from its convolutions, the intestine jjroved to be 

 just five inches long by a line in diameter, nearly equal throughout, but 

 enlargmg slightly from the cyUnder. Now, the hard or shelly portion 

 was discovered to consist of the union of a circle of hollow flattish pieces. 

 The Ampulla Poliana, Plate XI. fig. 7, hung from below. Such organs 

 without the ovarium, commonly appear somewhat as Plate XI. fig. 8, 

 which shews the intestinal parts separated from another specimen. The 

 separate arborescent apparatus of one is seen, Plate XII. fig. 3 : and the 

 shelly sheath, a, h ; Ampulla Poliana, c ; and intestine (of another), fig. 4. 

 Here the dark belt denotes the k)wer part of the tentacula. Only a por- 

 tion of the cylinder, with its tentacular sheaths, was preserved. 



The tufts formed by the contracted tentacula still testified a ten- 

 dency to their ordinary functions, sjjite of separation from the body. 



Next day the sac or integument which had contained all the inte- 

 rior, adhered shghtly to the side ; on the subsequent mornmg, it lay at 

 the bottom of the vessel. A yellow bunch of filaments, constituting the 

 attenuated or immature ovaritan, protruded from the anterior extremity. 

 It i-esembled a mass of coarse threads, some of them folded double ; and 

 this aLso separated with a brown intestinal portion. Remarkable enough 

 to observe, the animal, under so great a mutilation, yet shifted its place, 

 Ijut weakening more, and shortening to an inch, it was transferred to 

 spirit of wine, wherein it scarcely contracted farther with the extinction 

 of Ufe. 



This specimen survived exactly twenty-two months under observa- 

 tion. Had it remained in its native abode, or had it been even in a 

 vigorous condition at the date of the latter, the second intestinal priva- 

 tion, there is much probability that the important organs then lost would 



