HOLOTHURIA. 81 



shorter. The anterior part is obtuse, convex, and upright ; the middle 

 is about an inch and three quarters thick, tapering down to the extre- 

 mity, from whence a jet is discharged at mil. 



The i-ectangular compartment belongs to the thickest portion ; it 

 may occupy two inches in length, by one and a half in breadth. 



As the anterior opens, the neck, of a beautiful orange, speckled with 

 dark brown points, protrudes nearly an inch. A disc, flattened or 

 slightly concave, cro■^\^^s it, which is bordered by ten luxuriant tenta- 

 cula, with the mouth, very dilatable, in the centre. The stems of the 

 tentacula are rather short, and all the princijsal parts of the arborescence 

 are surrounded by those which are subordinate. Several filaments, 

 also rather short and slender, are dispersed irregularly on the neck. 



The skin of the animal seems contracted in fine irregular corruga- 

 tions, with somewhat a scaly aspect, thick and hard, and, when cut, re- 

 sisting, like the bark of a tree, with exception of that of the compart- 

 ment which is smooth and soft. A very thin dark epidermis peels oft" 

 in rags if the surface be injured. The surface below it is white. 



The external aspect of the Holothuria Fhaiitapxs is so peculiar — so 

 unlike that of an}' other species, or of an}^ other creature — it cannot be 

 mistaken. 



After various disappointments of a living entire specimen, repeated 

 for no less than twenty years, one Avas obtained which had been re- 

 covered from the deep-sea fishing on the 14th of May. It reached me 

 floating, and much contracted, in a wide-mouthed phial, admitting its 

 reception. 



Now it exhibited few signs of life, but extending slightly on the 

 water being changed, and on transference to a vessel sufficiently capacious. 



The suckers were nevertheless in firm adhesion on the fourth or 

 fifth day following. 



The whole of these organs were in action — those down the centre, 

 as well as those bordering the four sides of the quadrangular compart- 

 ment. 



The animal was still contracted, but this having taken place within 

 a week, encouraged me with the hope of its survivance. 



L 



