HOLOTUfKlA M 



shorter. Tin- anterior part is ohtu-c. convex, and upright . tin- middle 

 is about an inch and three quarter* thick, tapcrim: down to the extrv 

 inity. from whence a jet i- discharged nt will. 



The rectangular compartment belongs to tin- thickest portion ; it 

 may occupy twn inches in length, by one and a bull' in breadth. 



As the anterior open-*, the neck, of a beautiful orange, speckled witli 

 lark brown point-, protrudes nearly an inch. A disc, flattened or 

 slightly concave, crown- it. which is bnnlered by ten luxuriant tenta 

 cula. with the mouth, very dilatable, in the centre. The -terns of the 

 tentaenla are rather short, and all the principal parts of the arlwrcucence 



-iirromided by those which are subordinate. Several filament-. 

 also rather .-hurt and -lender, are dij-per-ed irregularly on the neck 



The skin of the animal seems contracted in fine irregular corruga- 

 tions, with someuhat a scaly aj>ect, thick and hard, and, when cut, re- 

 -istm-_'. like the bark of a tree, with exception of that of the compart- 

 ment which is smooth and soft. A very thin dark epidermis peels oft' 

 in rairs if the surtiwv be injured. The surface helow it is white. 



The external aspect of the Holtrthuria 1'hnntnpu* is so peculiar BO 

 unlike that of any other speciee, or of. any other creature it cannot be 

 mistaken. 



Alter various disappointments of a living entire specimen, repeated 

 tor no less than twenty years, one was obtained which had been re- 

 covered from the deep-sea fishing on the 14th of May. It reached me 

 Moating, and much contracted, in a wide-mouthed phial, admitting its 

 reception. 



Now it exhibited few signs of life, but extending slightly on the 



I ix-iii:: changed, and on transference to a VCSM-! .-ulliciently capacious. 



The .- tickers were nevertheless in firm adhesion on the fourth or 

 fifth day following. 



The whole of these organs were in action those down the centre. 

 a* well as those bordering the four sides of the quadrangular compart- 

 ment. 



The animal was still contracted, but this having taken place within 

 .1 week, encouraged me with the hope of its eurvivance. 



I. 



