On the Scattered Skeletal RemaAns of Holotlmiroidea. 183 



X. On the Presence of the Scattered Skeletcd Remains of Holo- 

 thuroidea in the Carhoniferous Limestone Series of Scot- 

 land. By E. Etheeidge, jun., Esq., President. [Of the 

 Museum of Natural History.] [Plates V. and VI.] 

 (Read 16tli March 1881.) 



1. Introduction. — The soft and destructible nature of the 

 body in the Holothuroidea, would, on first thought, give little 

 hope of traces of this group ever being found in the fossil 

 state, except under the most favourable circumstances. 



The only detailed and reliable instance of this with which 

 I am acquainted is that of the Synapta Sieholdii, described 

 and figured by Von MUnster,* from the Scyj)hia Limestone 

 of the Jura Formation at Streitburg. 



Several other problematical fossils have been referred to 

 the Holothuroidea by various authors, but in all probability 

 without sufficient justifiable evidence. The following may be 

 referred to in passing. Dr E. Euppelli" figured, as long ago 

 as 1829, a nondescript body from the Solenhofen Slate, of 

 an elongated sack-like form, and which he appears to have 

 considered of this nature. Its true nature is, however, 

 dubious, although Professor ZittelJ states that its proper 

 place will perhaps be in Geibel's genus Protoholothnria. 



Science Gossip (1874), p. 118 (Elizabeth Edwards) ; thirty squirrels semi- 

 dormant in an old oak, at Cudham, Kent, on Feb. 7th, p. 143 ; (same 

 commented upon by W. H. "Warner, Kingston, Abingdon). 



Science Gossip {18 Q7), p. 69, disease called "rot" in squirrels. 



Science Gossip (1867), p. 141, a remark on Tate's paper in Popular Science 

 Review (April 1867), criticised by Eras. Bucknell, M.R.C.S. Mr Tate's 

 paper is on the " Elint-Elakes of Devon," and the remark made is "per- 

 forations in the nuts demonstrates that squirrels skipped among the branches 

 of the trees that grew there." Eras. Bucknell states he has kept both 

 dormice and squirrels, and states the differences in the mode of extracting 

 the kernels. Thinks nuts alluded to by Mr Tate were attacked by dormice. 



Science Gossip, p. 165, Mr Bucknell's remarks confirmed by Helen Watney. 



Science Gossip (1869), p. 235, an observation by W. Hambrough Worthing 

 rather in favour of squirrel being an oophagist. 



* Beitrage zur Petrefact. (1843), 9 heft, p. 42. 



t Abbild. und [Beschreib. einiger neuen oder wenig Gekannten Verstein, 

 aus der Kalkscheiferformation von Solenhofen (1829), p. 10, t. 3, f, 3. 



X "Handb. der Pal.," p. 560. 



