HOLOTHUROIDEM. 289 



We have spoken of the strange suicidal tendency of the sea-stars : 

 the Holothuria exhibit the same phenomena, but, having no brittle 

 envelope like the sea-stars, it cannot break itself into bits in the 

 presence of its disconcerted enemy ; but kills itself in this manner : 

 having some cause of grief and trouble — such, for instance, as the 

 attack of an enemy or the pursuit of some fisherman — by a sudden 

 and unexpected movement it ejects its teeth, its stomach, its digestive 

 apparatus, and reduces itself to a simple empty membranous sac, 

 with an unfurnished mouth ; and, as a singular fact, this empty sac 

 still shrinks and contracts in the hand which grasps it. It must be 

 admitted that this is a strange mode of evading its enemies : the 

 soldier rarely throws his arms away in the moment of danger ! But 

 the Holothuria possesses a wonderful recuperative power also ; and it 

 is probably quite conscious, when it thus empties itself to disappoint 

 its pursuer, that it can promptly replace the organs which it has 

 voluntarily parted with. 



Dr. Johnston relates that he had forgotten for some days to supply 

 a Holothuria with a change of water. The creature, in consequence, 

 ejected its tentacles, its buccal apparatus, digestive tubes, and a 

 portion of its ovaries. Still it was not dead, but was sensible to the 

 least movement, and lived to reproduce all its organs anew. 



The habits of these animals are but little known. They inhabit 

 the seas, and are spread over every latitude. Their very limited 

 movements consist in a kind of reptation or crawling motion, 

 produced by the undulations of their bodies or by the contractions of 

 their feet. Some few species, however, can glide along very swiftly 

 and gracefully. Holothuria are generally found in the act of creeping 

 upon stones or on portions of submarine rock, but always in sheltered 

 places, for they appear to dread the full blaze of light. They some- 

 times find themseves caught by fishermen in their nets. If held in 

 the hand they contract, their bodies become hard and rigid, and the 

 sea- water with which they are filled is ejected with force. We need 

 not add that fishermen reject with disdain the Holothuria taken in 

 their nets ; the sea-cucumber has never been thought worthy of a place 

 on our tables. " Truth is on this side, error on that," is a maxim as 

 true in morals as in cookery. The sea-cucumber, which Europeans 

 disdain, is a favourite dish among the Chinese. The fishery, pre- 

 paration of, and transport of these animals to market, plays an 

 important part in the commerce and industry of the East. One 

 rather large species, the Holothziria tubidosa, in which, by-the-bye, a 

 singular parasite fish {Fierasfer Fontanesii) lives, is common in the 

 Mediterranean. This species is eatable, and much relished at 



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