llni.o I liriMA. _! 



ili.- -urlace hit-* uniformly proved fatal ; and besides these accidents, which 

 un- in. i.l. 'in il to tin* race, the larger Holothuriaa not only lose their in- 

 testinal organs, but almost always nijitun- their bodies when withdrawn 

 frniii the sea to an artificial dwelling. 



Authors ha\e generally eoiilincd their observations to tin- ai)ati>in\ 

 of tin- Holothuria exclusively, wherein some accomplished naturalist- 



irra tilled tin- curious. But very few have adventured on an accu- 



h-s4-ripti.ui of its external form ; nor have I heard of any OIK- at 

 tempting to illustrate it.s habits. Certainly the subject is diflh-ult. fnr the 

 niM-t distimiuished foreign naturalists, i-vi-n without the impetlinu-nt of 

 scarcity, complain of tin- rxtivine emtmramment to which tln-v \M-H- -\- 

 posed in their progress; and the figuret* ih-voti-d to tin- anatomiml ftrur- 

 tun? are actually often unintelligible. 



We must, therefore, very highly prize whatever occasions admit of 

 any accessions or elucidations of the history hitherto so obw-im- of this 

 extraordinary creature. 



The first step to be adopted here alike for the purpose of ascer- 

 taining the nature of the animal, and to enlist the services of other ob- 

 -.rvt-rs. is to li\ its form in recollection by accurate delineation. 



1. HOLOTUURIA PENTACTES. Fire Ribbed Sea Cucumber Sea 

 Pudding. PLATES I., II.. III.. IV., V., VI.. VII. 



Tin- H"lotlmriae are so unlike each other, it is imponsible to <nm|.i< 

 hend any number of species under a general ill-Unit ion. If any wen- <!- 

 vised it would be very defective, each special definition being scarcely 

 applicable to another species than that from whence it is derived. 

 Authors have been induced to attempt constituting several genera, but 

 most unsuccessfully ; and their labours in fact resolve int.. the enumera- 

 tion of species. 



The exterior integument of thellolothuria, with the tough coria*' 

 inner layers, constitutes a capacious bag, wherein are contained the respi- 

 ratory, the intestinal organs, and the ovarium. The head is also re- 

 tracted within it when at rest : but in action it protrudes, unfolding a fine 



