A FEW REMAllKS 



CONCERNING A 



PAEISITIC FISH, 



Ft>U.\ü IN THE HOLOTHURIA OF THE COCOS-ISLANDS 

 BY 



A. J. ANDERSON, M. D. 



1. These Parasitical fisli (Fierasfer v. Oxybeles) are not 

 founcl in all specimens of the Trepang. 



2. The fish always leave the trepang within a variable 

 time, generall Y soon after the latterhave been taken from 

 the sea, so that whenever a carga is brought home in the 

 cvening, the fish are found mixed up with the mass of 

 trepang. 



3. Those who are accustomed to gather the trepang, 

 iisually know when they contain fish by the difference of 

 feeling communicatcd to the hand. 



Bij the fust and second of these reasons a specimen 

 of trepang still containing te fish, could not easily be ob- 

 tained. I have myself accompanied parties , hut they are 

 so rare, I have never managed to get one trepang Avith a fish. 

 Ordinary trepang exist here to an almost infinite amo.unt 

 and of several different species, but these with fish are 

 difficult to procure. Latterly I requested the man ac- 

 ting as mandore to the party usually gathering trepang, 

 whenever he met Avith one containing a fish , to tie both 

 cxtremitics by which means I have succeeded in obtaining 

 two or three specimens of trepang, having fish stUl widiin 



