86 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 



Holotlmria impatiens, Semper 1868 (38) ; Ludwig 1875 (23), 

 1887 (29), 1888 (30), 1899 (32) ; Lampert 1885 (19), 

 1889 (20), 1896 (21) ; Theel 1886 (42) ; Bell 1887 (6), 

 1889 (7) ; Sluiter 1887 (39), 1910 (41) ; Herouard 1893 

 (13) ; Koehler 1895 (15) ; Bedford 1899 (3) ; Konings- 

 berger 1904 (18) ; Fisher 1907 (11) ; Koehler & 

 Vaney 1908 (17) ; Pearson 1910 (34) (35). 



External Apj^earance. — The body is covered with papillae 

 only, no true pedicels being present. These are situated upon 

 conical eminences, which give a characteristically papillated 

 appearance to the body. The papilloe are irregularly disposed, 

 and appear to be equally abundant upon the bivium and 

 trivium. The colour of the body is brown, punctated with 

 numerous minute dark brown spots. Some of the dorsal 

 papillae are dark brown, others a light brown. There is often 

 a series of purplish-brown transverse stripes across the back, 

 those in front being regular, but becoming more irregular 

 towards the posterior end of the body. Thus the back of the 

 animal presents a variegated appearance. The body when 

 extended is very long in proportion to its width, and in a 

 living example measured by me the length was 275 mm. and 

 the width 25 mm. There are 20 light yellow tentacles, and 

 the anus is surrounded by a rim of small pajDillse. 



Internal Structure. — The internal structure calls for no 

 special remarks. The Cuvierian organs are double, and 

 extremely large. The left respiratory tree extends to the 

 anterior end of the body, but is extremely slender ; the right 

 respiratory tree, on the other hand, is short but massive. 



Spicules. — The calcareous deposits consist of tables and 

 smooth buttons. The tables are characteristic, and consist of 

 a fairly square base, consisting of nine almost equal holes 

 forming rows of three. The base has a diameter of 90 [>■. The 

 tables are 75 tJ- high and generally have one cross-beam, but 

 there may exceptionally be two. The tower is surmounted 

 by about 20 spines. The buttons are 75 ^. in length and have 

 six holes. 



General Distribution. — This is a common form in the tropical- 

 and sub-tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region. It has 

 also been recorded from Florida. 



