102 Dr- J- S. Thomson on the 



was as follows : — The large spines were red for the greater 

 part of their length, but with a green base ; the smaller spines 

 green, with reddish tips ; the tube-feet reddish in colour ; 

 the test when deprived of spines and tube-feet grey. In 

 specimens possessing a predominant purple colour the large 

 spines were entirely purple, the smaller spines green with 

 purple tips. 



On a second occasion at the same locality, of twenty-four 

 purple examples, the sexes were equally divided between 

 the specimens, and the ovaries were chrome-yellow in colour, 

 the testes lighter or darker. Of other specimens, the sex of 

 which was noted, a red and a pink variety were females, and 

 a pale mauve example was of the opposite sex. 



Specimens from Kalk Bay, False Bay : — The specimens 

 showed the following varieties of colour : red, lilac, grey, 

 pink, pinkish green, greenish grey, intermediate between red 

 and purple. On July 15th a lilac and a bluish-red specimen 

 were mature, and the seminal fluid issuing from the genital 

 plates was clearly observed. In the bluish specimen the 

 testes were of an orange colour. Of three grey specimens, 

 two were females and one male. The ovary was pale orange 

 and the testis dark orange in colour. There is also a slight 

 difference of texture between the testes and ovary. Of four 

 lilac-coloured specimens three were males and one female. 

 One pinkish-green specimen was female and another greenish- 

 grey specimen was of the same sex. 



It is thus again evident that colour afforded no means for 

 the identification of the sex. 



The opportunity was taken for noting the distribution of 

 colour on individual examples : — 



Red specimen : large spines red above, green at base ; 

 small spines mainly green, with a slight tinge of red ; tube- 

 feet a faint red, with alternate lighter and darker bands, and 

 becoming darker at the tips. Red specimen of a darker red, 

 affording some measure of transition to the purple forms ; the 

 large spines were mainly red on the upper part and green 

 towards their bases ; the tube-feet were apparently lighter 

 than those of the last-mentioned specimen. In regard to the 

 colour of the tube-feet generally, it seems that there is no 

 great difference of colour, the apparent difference of colour 

 being mainly due to reflection from the spines. 



Lilac specimen : the large spines were lilac for the greater 

 part of their length, becoming paler in colour near the base, 

 and with the basal swelling greenish in colour. The small 

 spines were lilac on their upper portions, greenish on their 



