i \ 86 



nothing definite, however, of Mich foreign product.-, 

 ing it enough to deal with tho-e which are nn>iv familiar. 



Naturalist.- apparently entertain very vague opinion- on tin- true 

 nature nf the llolothuria. ami of its proper position in the Xi/*tema 

 \atitrtr. Hut in fact it ha* been Kvn ver\ rarely Iiy any uf tin- learned 

 devoting tin -niselves to the study of the lower tribe*, nor do I firmly U- 

 lie\e c\er in perfection. It may be questioned, whether a specimen 

 was before Limuvus. Muller (rtainly luwl several, and of these, such u> 

 tin -y \vcn-. lie luw preserved figiin->. Imt all must have been more or less 

 injured or contracted. I do not think any one could be completely de- 

 vi'lojHil, and displaying it- i-\t, rnal organ*. M. de Bluinvillc. whom; ob- 



itions prn\f him u natunili.-t of dLstin^ui-ihi-il (juality, may have had 

 il Vi-t none could be in full vigour from his own account, 

 feasor Dt-lk- Chiaic inidonlitcHlly had these creatures in great profusion. 

 Had they txvn entire, and vigoroua, and treated suitably, how could 

 they have been considered different \\hen actually the same ; or identified 

 tor the same when actually different. The figures presented shew that 

 none were living. Among the most modem naturalists, however, 1'm- 

 fenor Edward Forbes had opportunities of inspecting different cpem > 

 while alive. 1 could specify only one or two other authors, belonging 

 either to the continent of Europe or to Great Britain, of whom I can my 

 the same 



The fact* hitherto obtained in the history of the Ilolothuria, afford 

 but few conclusions regarding its nature, compared with the tedious de- 

 tail of the preceding pages. Nevertheless, some will be found of such 

 interest, and so well established, as to encourage the farther research of 

 tin- curious. 



I. The 1 l.dothuria does not appear to be allied to any other genus of 

 animals. It is neither preceded nor followed by any one in immediate 

 approximation : Nor does any relation subsist, as some naturalists ad- 

 vance, between the JfiJot/mri'i, Actinia, and Acidia. Hoth the lat let 

 seem to be far removed, and all are distinctly separated from each other 



II. The external internment is a capacious sac, containing the 

 viscera, the respiratory apparatus, and the ovarium. wherein al.-o the 



