288 



THE OCEAN WORLD. 



cases directly into forms like those from which they sprung. The 

 bodies of certain species are lubricated by an acrid and corrosive 

 fluid : thus H. Oceania, ' described by Lesson, which is about forty 





Fig. 118. Holothuria lutea (Quoy and Galmard). 



inches in length, secretes at the surface of its body an irritating fluid, 

 which produces an intolerable itching in the finger which touches it. 

 Nor can the inhabitants of the South Sea Islands look at it without 

 loathing. Fig. 118 represents H. lutea, or the Stichopus luteus of 

 Brandt, who describes as its distinctive character three rows of am- 

 bulacra! feet on the ventral surface, 



