HOLOTHURIA. 59 



inflexible extraneous matter comes within contact, of whicli it cannot be 

 easily divested. One remained thus, so completely clothed, during two 

 months, as to prevent discovery of its real shape. Nevertheless, the 

 wonted evolutions, and the greater extension of the posterior extremity 

 ensued towards evening. 



I repeat, that it does not appear that the loss of the arborescent ap- 

 paratus, together with the ovarium and intestinal organs wholly, if that 

 truly takes place, or partially, which is frequent, and their regeneration 

 though essential to the continuance of life, are to be deemed a natural 

 process. 



A specimen of the same size, but lighter colour than that whose his- 

 tory has been given in detail, was procured on January 14. It occa- 

 sionally assumed such a curvature, like a horse-shoe, that the extremities 

 met. From the clearness of the body, and the constant concealment of 

 the arborescence, I conjectured that the usual mutilation had deprived 

 the animal of its parts. It was so, though not recently ; when the ar- 

 borescence was first seen, on the last of March, or eleven weeks from 

 the period of acquisition, it seemed to be fuU grown. Tlie cylinder also, 

 when protruded, was observed of full size, and perfectly white. The 

 animal being much distended, July 29, and ha^dng lost its adhesion, was 

 transferred to a different vessel replenished with recent sea- water. Here 

 it afl&xed itself next evening to the side, with the head hanging perpen- 

 dicularly downwards. The ai'borescent and intestinal organs then be- 

 ginning to escape, were discharged the following morning ; and portions 

 of an immature ovarium a day or two after, when the animal had fallen 

 to the bottom, where it died. — Plate XI. fig. 8. 



A specimen obtained in April, had assumed a globular form, rolHng 

 over the bottom of the glass, — nor was it unlike an alcyonic mass. In 

 a week it afl&xed, being somewhat elongated ; and in a fortnight, it had 

 assumed its proper crescent-shape, of about equal dimensions to the 

 principal figure described, Plate IX. Its position was shifted daily, yet 

 the precise mode of progression could not be ascertained. As usual with 

 this species, it attained its fuU size about ten in the evening. In five 

 weeks the arborescent apparatus, along with the ovarium, protruded like 



