222 



K. JIITSUKUEI : STUDIES ON 



Specimens examined 



Description : — " All the specimens highly contmcted, with the 

 tentacles retracted within the body whicli presents a fusiform 

 appearance. The month closed by five valvular projections, and is 

 in most of the individuals bent upwards. The peri some is rather 

 hard and inflexible. The anal portion of the body is much more 

 tapered and distinctly turned upwards. The anus is surrounded by 

 five very minute teeth. The two ventral are much smaller than the 

 eight remaining tentacles. All the ambulacra! appendages, even the 

 dorsal ones, are completely retractile, and distributed all over the 

 body, whereby the surface of the latter acquires a punctated or 

 finely pitted aspect. No dorsal processes or elevations of the body- 

 wall, which are so characteristic of most of the representatives of 

 the genus Colochirus, are visible. Only in one specimen does 

 the dorsal surface show traces of some minute elevations " (Theel, 

 p. 77). 



Remarlis : — All the specimens are sausage -shaped. Their length 

 and breadth as measured in a few are : 5.5 x 2.5 cm., 5 x 2.5 cm., 

 4.5 X 2 cm., and 2.3 x 1 cm. They are highly contracted, and all 

 the ambulacral appendages are retracted. The skin is thick and 

 hard, and gives the impression of having a heavy deposit of 

 calcareous bodies. The mouth when closed, shows five radiate 

 lines : it is stellate in shape. The anus is turned on to the dorsal 



