142 HOLOTHURIANS. 



2. Synapta beselii Jaeger. 



Synapta agassizii Selenka. E. Selenka, Z. f. w. Z. 17, 1867, p. 361, Taf. xx. 

 References: C. Semper. Reisen Philipp. Hoi. 1868, p. 11, Taf. i. 

 H. Ludwig. Z. f. w. Z. 35, 1881, p. 577. 

 H. Theel. Challenger Holothuroidea, 1885, p. 9. 

 K. Lampert. Die Seewalzen, 1885, p. 223. 

 Loc. Off China Straits, New Guinea. 



Three fragments only, one of which was labelled as " striped " and distinctly 

 answered to the description of var. agassizii, the other two were labelled as "spotted" 

 when alive. Length of living specimens 60 — 6-4 cm. and upwards. 



Lampert regards this form as a separate species ; Semper has pointed out the 

 similarity of colouring of S. beselii from different localities, and if not a true species 

 the present form must be regarded as a well-marked colour-variety, although Mertens 

 as quoted by Ludwig says of S. beselii " Die Farbe variirt wenn sie sich auch meist 

 in denselben Farbentbnen bewegt." 



3. Synapta reticulata Semper, var. niyro-purpurea nov. var. 



C. Semper. Reisen Philipp. Hoi. p. 13, Taf. iv. figs. 4, 5. 



References: C. Ph. Sluiter. Natuurk. Tijd. v. Ned. Indie, Bd. 47, 1887, pp. 214—215. 

 K. Lampert. Zool. Jahrb. Systematik, Bd. iv. 1889, p. 845. 



Loc. Isle of Pines, New Caledonia, between tide-marks. 



Fourteen specimens up to 13 cm. in length; colour "crimson-black" when alive. 



They seem to be similar to Semper's specimens in all respects except colour 

 and size of anchors and anchor-plates, which are "24 mm. and "18 mm. in length 

 respectively. 



Lampert describes three examples from the Mermaid Straits which also differ 

 from the type in the absence of reticulate markings, and Sluiter describes a colour 

 variety under the term var. maculata, so that the identity need not be doubted on 

 these grounds. It seems possible that the coloration may be correlated with the 

 habitat, since Sluiter found the type at a depth of 6 — 8 fathoms and var. maculata at 

 low-water mark. 



4. Synapta recta Semper. 



C. Semper. Reisen Philipp. Hoi. 1868, p. 14, Taf. iv. figs. 2, 3. 



Loc. Off China Straits, New Guinea. 



One specimen 4cm. long; tentacles up to 12mm. in length; colour "speckled" 

 when alive. 



Corresponds exactly to Semper's description and figures. In fresh condition, 13 

 tentacles were counted. The colour consists of alternate light and dark greyish 

 longitudinal bands, thickly speckled with whitish spots. 



5. Synapta vittata Forskal. 



References : J. Midler. Arch. f. anat. u. phys. 1850, pp. 132 — 134. S. serpentina. 



F. Held. Vierteljahrsch. d. Nat. Gesell. in Zurich, 1857, pp. 264— 

 266. S. vittata and S. raynaldi. 



