Messrs. Woodward aud Barrett on the genus Syiiapta. 215 



Only five years ago (in 1863) Mr. Cocks of Falmouth described 

 two British species, and gave a magnified figure of the skin, without 

 seeing the anchors ; and still more recently Mr. Gosse was unable 

 to find them, even with the aid of a microscope *. However, they 

 are present in all the examples that have come under our notice, and 

 they can alwavs be seen with a common pocket lens. Indeed the 

 larger anchors of Sijaapta diyitata are nearly half a line in length, 

 and visible to the unassisted eye. 



Jseser says that all the anchors of his Synapta Beselii are |rd of 

 a hne in length, and can be seen without a glass. This great Synapta 

 of the Celebes is a yard long, and called a " sea-serpent " by the na- 

 tives ! t "^ 



Two other large species, described by Lesson, were said to create a 

 burning sensation when handled ; but it is not clear whether this 

 was caused by the anchors, or by urticating organs, like those of 

 the Actinia and Eolis. No such phaenomenon could be detected by 

 Quatrefages or other observers who have handled the smaller Synapta 

 when alive. 



The anatomy of the:?e creatures appears to have been first in- 

 vestigated by Leuckart J, who examined the Synapta vittatu of 

 Forskal, aud ascertained that it had no internal respiratory organs 

 like the Holothuria. 



Anchors and plates attributed to this species, which comes fiom the 

 shores of the Red Sea, near Suez, are to be found in the cabinet of 

 every microscopic observer. The slides are prepared in Paris, and 

 extensively re-manufactured in this country. The anchor-flukes are 

 plain and simple, and the articular end of the shank is deeply subdi- 

 vided. The plates are furnished with a raised arch at the smaller 

 end, forming a sort of cavity for the reception of the anchor-stock. 

 They are exactly like those figured in Midler's article, " Uber den 

 Ban der Echinodermen " (Berlin Trans. 1854, t. 6. f. 17), under the 

 name of S. serpentina. There is a woodcut of them in Carpenter's 

 work on the Microscope ; and figures are also given in the Micro- 

 graphic Dictionary. Mr. Wm. Griesbach has a slide with the mi- 

 liary plates, which are oval aud granular, very numerous, and all alike. 



Prof. Forbes was unacquainted with the anchors of the British 

 Synuptce ; and Dr. Carpenter in his last work (18.57) says it is not 

 known whether they have anchors, or wheels like Chiridota. 



We have obtained evidence of both the European Synaptce from 

 several British localities ; and as the published notices are scattered 

 in many works, we propose to give some account ol'them, and also to 

 describe a new species from China. 



lets ; " but this expression (der sie iiberall wie Kletten anhiingen) is employed in 

 the introductory paragraph. In the special description of Synapfa he only speaks 

 of " small roK^A?ies«e6- (Rauhigkeiten) in\isible to the naked eye." And he de- 

 scribes Chiridota verrucosa as, " corpora undique verrucis rubris adha^rentibus 

 obsito."— Zool. Atlas, fol. Berlin, 1829. 



* Aquarium, p. 243. 



t Dissertatio de Holothuriis, tto. Turic. 1833. + Isis. 1831. 



