COMMON OBJECTS OF THE SHORE. 309 



being opened by Professor Forbes, to have their 

 intestines filled with sand or mud, which they had 

 probably swallowed for the sake of the animal 

 matter mingled with it. 



Many who have resided for a time on some parts 

 of our coasts, have heard of those singular animals 

 termed Sea-cucumbers and Sea-gherkins. They 

 are brought up by the dredge from deeper waters, 

 and we must not expect to find them lying about 

 among the common things of the beach ; for rarely 

 indeed do the storms bring them there. Slimy 

 creatures they are, and usually by no means at- 

 tractive ; yet they deserve notice on account of 

 their singular nature and habits. Resembling in 

 the different species, more or less, the cucumber in 

 form, and covered with a slimy substance, which 

 renders them disagreeable to the touch ; they are 

 oblong animals, tapering at the ends, and covered, 

 like the star-fish, with rows of suckers ; while 

 beautiful feathery tentacles surround the mouth. 

 Some of the species seem very apathetic, but 

 others are lively and active animals. There is 

 one most remarkable fact recorded of them. We 

 have seen how the star-fishes, when irritated, can 

 break themselves up into many pieces. The sea- 

 cucumbers have the still more wondrous faculty of 

 vomiting up the whole of their internal structure, 

 sometimes leaving not a trace behind of their 

 organs, save the empty sac. Yet the animal ap* 

 parently suffers nothing from its enraged action. 

 It can live on without these organs, and in the 

 course of three or four months can reproduce 

 them. Other species of sea-cucumber can separate 

 themselves down the middle ; and can, in process 

 of time, become two perfect animals. Their intes- 



