Canon A. M. Norman on Cucumariii Montafrui. 353 



Yet still more involved by the publication of Mr. Pace's 

 paper. 



Mr. Pace writes : " In 1808 Montagu described and figured 

 as ' Ilohthuria pentacies, var./ a species of Cucumaria which 

 he had found on the south coast of Devonshire. This species 

 from Montagu's excellent description must certainly have 

 been one of the two forming the subject of this paper; and 

 which has among other names been known as C. Monlagui, 

 Fleming. Now whatever C. Montagiii really may be, it 

 certairdy is not conspecific with Montagu's supposed variety 

 of C. pentactes. Of course, it was undoubtedly Fleming's 

 intention to honour Montagu by bestowing his name upon 

 the species discovered by that naturalist, but, unfortunately, 

 the description of C. Montagui is based upon specimens of 

 another species collected in the Firth of Forth. Fleming- 

 makes reference under the name Montagui to Montagu's 

 description of the Devonshire Cucumarian, but Montagu's 

 actual form is probably the one that is described as Hohthuria 

 pentactes in the ' History of British Animals.' Fleming's 

 name aj^pears to have dropped into almost complete disuse 

 nntil revived by Dr. A. M. Norman. Norman, however, 

 overlooked the fact that Fleming was not dealing with the 

 same species as Montagu : and in addition he has failed to 

 realize that there are two species of Cucumaria of somewhat 

 similar outward appearance living upon the South Devon 

 coast. Norman's Cucumaria Montagui is, in fact, a complex, 

 and it is mainly as a result of this that subsequent authors 

 have experienced so much difficulty in reconciling their ideas 

 as to the identity of C. Montagui." 



It is inconceivable to me how such a view of Fleming's 

 species could have been entertained by Mr. Pace in the 

 presence of the passages I now proceed to quote from the 

 descriptions of Montagu and Fleming. From the former 

 author the passages only are given which bear upon the 

 description of Fleming; but the passage from Fleming 

 includes all that he wrote upon the subject, and embraces all 

 that is important in the description by Montagu. 



Montagu, 1808. — Cucumaria pentactes, var. " Cylindric, 

 white, covered with a mottled film or epidermis . . . The 

 anterior end for an inch or more is of a purplish-broAvn, and 

 furnished with eight large and two very small contiguous. . . 

 tentacula . . . When the animal was alive it was observable 

 that one of the least arms, or tentacula, was always covering 

 the mouth, and for that purpose were alternately in motion 

 . . . the lips or margin of the aperture white ; the posterior 



