SEA-CUCUMBERS. 159 



elongated trunks worra-fasliion round pieces of rock, or be- 

 tween seaweeds. When not in use, the suckers appear only 

 as little teat-like tubercles, and are only converted into legs 

 w^ien required for use; the extremity of each, like that of 

 the suckers of the Star-fish^ sticks to everything it touches, 

 and by means of them the whole body is drawn forward. 



Like Star-fishes, Sea-Cucumbers seem to be addicted to 

 suicide, or at least, self-mutilation. A specimen which Mr. 

 Lloyd was bringing home in a jar some months since, being 

 made uncomfortable by the jolting of the cabriolet, actually 

 ejected his stomach, turning it inside out, and then threw 

 it off, together with his head and circle of tentacles. He 

 then fixed himself on the side of the jar, in a rather atte- 

 nuated condition, near the water^s edge, where he remained, 

 showing signs of life. At first, of course, he was expected 

 to die very soon, but he lived on ; and then Mr. Lloyd be- 

 gan to hope that Nature would exercise her remedial power, 

 and that a new head, stomach, and tentacula might re- 

 place the old ones. Nor is it certain that he will be dis- 

 appointed in that expectation. The animal is living still, 

 and there are some slight signs of the missing organs bud- 

 ding forth. The specimen in question is figured in our 

 Plate X. fig. 1, and is clouded with a pale greenish-brown. 



