NOTICE OF A HOLOTHURIAN NEW TO BRITAIN. 43 



in the parisli of Stamfordham, that when his father was engaged 

 in planting the trees on the west side of Matfen Hall, the seat of 

 Sir Edward Blackett, Bart., that he, and the rest of the labourers 

 present, distinctly heard the troops fire on the mob in Hexham, 

 which fixes the age of the trees in a very remarkable manner ; 

 that event took place on the 9th day of March, 1761. 



ly. — Notice of the Occurrence^ on this Coast, of a Holothurian 

 (Cucumaria elongata) new to Britain. By Joshua Alder. 

 (PI. II. Fig. 3.) 



[Read June 9th, 1857.] 



In consequence of a wish lately expressed, that notices of new 

 and rare animals and plants in this district should be read at our 

 Field Meetings as they occur, I have now to announce the oc- 

 currence of a small marine animal of the family Holothuridce^ 

 not before known to be British. It is the Cucumaria elongata of 

 Von Duben and Koren, described in their interesting work on 

 the Scandinavian Echinodermata, from specimens met with on 

 the coast of Norway or Sweden, but apparently not common 

 there, and, as far as I know, not hitherto found any where else. 

 Two specimens of this rare animal were lately brought to me by 

 Mr. Wright, along with some zoophytes, from the five-men boats 

 that come to Newcastle Quay with fish. The exact locality 

 where they were got was not ascertained ; but as the men 

 usually fish in deep water off the coast of Northumberland or 

 Durham, there can be little doubt that the animals were ob- 

 tained within the limits of our district. They were dead, but 

 not in bad condition. 



As the species has not yet found a place in the British fauna, 

 it may be necessary to give a short description of it. 



Cucumaria elongata is about two inches long, slender, and ta- 

 pering towards both extremities, especially the posterior one. 

 The skin is of a mottled grayish colour, coriaceous, hard, opaque, 



