and Anatomy of the Thalassema and Echiurus. 371 



lief that his animal was identical with that described by Pal- 

 las, but supposed that the figure given by that illustrious na- 

 turalist was incorrect. This, however, is not the case, the 

 figure of Pallas well representing the animal after preserva- 

 tion in spirits, in which state doubtless he had only an oppor- 

 tunity of seeing it. 



Of late it has been taken by Mr Harvey at Teignmouth : 

 from his specimen our structural account is drawn up. Of its 

 external characters, it need only be mentioned, additional to 

 the descriptions of Pallas and Montagu, that it possesses a 

 short retractile trunk, as well as an oral appendage. Mon- 

 tagu's account of its habits, when alive, is all we know of 

 them, but is most full and interesting, and may be found in 

 the eleventh volume of the Linnsean Transactions. 



The Echiurus vulgaris is a much larger and more remark- 

 able animal. A great number of individuals of this species 

 were thrown up on the sandy shore of St Andrews during last 

 winter after a severe gale of wind. The largest specimens 

 measured about six inches long and half an inch in diameter. 

 The body of the creature is cylindrical, annulated with 

 little flat tubercles, which were floccose toward the two ex- 

 tremities. From the anterior end projected a proboscis about 

 half an inch in length, not furnished with tentacula, and hav- 

 ing a deep red margin at the extremity. This proboscis is 

 retractile, but not so a singular furrowed fleshy appendage 

 placed along side of it. This appendage is highly extensile, 

 a nd forms a sort of sheath to the proboscis. A little way from 

 its junction with the body are two shining yellow cartilaginous 

 bristles ; short, lanceolate, curved, acuminate, and retractile. 

 These are the genital hooks. From between them runs a red 

 line down the body towards the anus, marking the course of 

 an internal vessel. The whole of the body is of a bright pink 

 colour, with obscure paler narrow rings and speckles caused 

 by the minute tubercles of the skin being of a paler hue. 

 The anus is placed at the posterior extremity on a somewhat 

 flattened disk, which is surrounded by two circles of corneous 

 seta?, similar in structure to the genital hooks, but shorter. 

 They are ten in number in each circle. The anus is round 

 and red. The sheath of the proboscis differs in colour from 



