96 
SAGAKTIAD^. 
organs ; sometimes by a few of the most anterior ones, 
when the base is thrown up at an angle, in a somewhat 
undignified fashion. Occasionally I have seen a specimen 
which had attached itself thus to a stone, or the side of a 
vessel, and had, by its own weight or other cause, removed 
a little from its attachment, — still fastened by two or three 
suckers, which were unnaturally stretched out to a length 
of the sixth of an inch, and a proportionate tenuity, resem- 
bling the suckers of a Holothuria. 
Some observed facts indicate a considerable tenacity of 
life in this species. On the 5th of October last ]\[r. West 
inclosed in a small tin canister three specimens with a 
little damp weed, but without water. The box was then 
addressed to me, and committed on the same day to the 
post-office at Leeds ; where, however, owing to the oozing 
forth of a slight wetness, it was detained. In the course of 
a few days I informed him that it had not arrived ; but my 
friend residing out of the town, and my letter arriving on 
Saturday evening, he was not able to obtain from the 
over-scrupulous postmaster the suspicious missive, until 
Monday morning, the 12th — a meek (within five hours) of 
the animals' imprisonment. Of course he expected to 
find them in a pretty advanced state of decomposition ; 
but, on removing the lid, saw at once that the case was 
not hopeless. They were immediately treated to the long- 
foregone luxury of a bath of sea-water ; and though one of 
them was hors de combat, the other two recovered, and lived 
to bear the journey to Devonshire under better auspices. 
To the same kind friend I owe the possession of the 
lovely var. lilacina, and the following playful note of its 
endurings : — “ It is one of the French consignment, and 
has led almost a charmed life. Soon after my letter to you 
[dated Jan. 27], written after their arrival, I fancied the 
water in one of the vases was becoming foul, and therefore 
