THE SYNAPTA. 719 



into a rich and palatable soup, and are also stewed in various ways, taking, in fact, the 

 same rank among the Chinese that turtle does with us. The Trepang is prepared for the 

 market by being carefully opened and cleansed, laid in lime, and then dried either in the 

 sun or over wooden fires. 



Crawling up the stern of the sea-weed may be seen an odd-looking little creature, called 

 the PSOLINUS, remarkable for the great length of the ambulacrae, which lift it well above 

 the object on which it walks. Owing to this fact, it has quite an intelligent aspect as it 

 crawls along, with its beautiful crown of tentacles expanded, and waving in the water. 



The two larger figures represent the same species in different aspects, the upper showing 

 its under surface, and the lower exhibiting its appearance while walking. In these two 

 curious genera, the ambulacrse are only distributed in the under surface, and in the present 

 example are placed in three rows on a flattened disc, which occupies part of the under 

 surface. 



IN the genus PENTACTE, the ambulacra are placed in a series of parallel rows along the 

 body, sometimes six, but mostly five in number. The two upper figures in the illustration 

 on page 720 represent a member of this genus under two conditions. 



It is a remarkable fact, that when one of the Holothuridse is alarmed, or suffers from 

 indigestion, or is affected in any way. it proceeds to an act which is the exact analogue of 

 the Japanese custom of " happy despatch." Under any or either of these circumstances, 

 it proceeds to disembowel itself, and does so with a completeness and promptitude that 

 are almost incredible. It disgorges the whole of its interior, with all the complicated 

 arrangements that render the Holothuridse such singular beings to dissect, casts away all 

 its viscera, its stomach, and even throws off the beautiful bell of tentacles. 



Having done this, and reduced itself to the condition of an empty skin, which cannot 

 eat because it has no mouth and no stomach, and will not walk, because it has no object 

 for locomotion, it remains perfectly quiescent for some months. At the expiration of that 

 period, a fresh set of tentacles begin to make their appearance ; they are followed by other 

 portions ; and after a while, the animal is furnished with a completely new set of the 

 important organs which it had cast away. It seems a singular cure for indigestion, but no 

 one can deny its efficacy. 



The uppermost figure was taken from a living specimen which had first flung off its 

 tentacles, then turned its stomach inside out, then thrown it aside, and six months after- 

 wards was still alive. The central figure represents the same species in its ordinary state, 

 with its beautiful tentacles protruded. 



The lowermost figure represents a fine species of SEA CUCUMBER, which has received 

 its generic name from its great resemblance to that vegetable. The smaller species are 

 appropriately named Sea Gherkins. The food of all these animals consists of marine 

 molluscs and other small inhabitants of the sea. The complete but empty shell of several 

 small molluscs have been found within the stomach of dissected specimens, proving that 

 the creature must have swallowed the shell entire, and dissolved out its inhabitant by the 

 process of digestion. 



It may as well be mentioned that the only vestige of a skeleton in these creatures is 

 a ring of chalky substance surrounding the beginning of the intestinal canal, and formed 

 of ten pieces, five large and as many small. To this curious ring are attached the 

 longitudinal muscles of the body, by which the creature can lengthen or shorten itself at 

 will, the expansion and contraction of the body being due to a series of transverse 

 muscular fibres. The longitudinal muscles are ten in number, and are arranged in five 

 pairs. 



THE uppermost figure in the illustration on page 721 is another example of the Cucu- 

 marise, and is here given in order to show the beautiful mouth with its crown of tentacles. 



The other figures represent a most singular being called the SYNAPTA, from a Greek 

 word signifying to seize hold of anything. This name is given to it because, when the 

 hand is drawn over its surface, the skin is slightly arrested by some invisible agency. 



On taking off part of the skin of the Synapta and placing it under the microscope, a 

 most wonderful sight is disclosed. The skin is furnished with a number of little tubercles 



