HOLOTHUfilANS OF NEW ZEALAND. 47 



longer on the outside ; dental apparatus short ; respiratory 

 organs moderately branched ; longitudinal muscles very broad. 



" Yellowish, largely mottled with brown above, and in a lesser 

 degree below ; tentacles yellowish brown. 



" About 6 inches in length, and 1| in breadth. 



" The suckers are arranged in five rows, but the two upper 

 ones are nearly obsolete ; the three other rows are near together, 

 and often run one into the other ; from two to four abreast in a 

 row; these five rows can be well seen near the posterior endy 

 when the intestine and muscular tissue has been removed." 



In 1879 (loG. cit.) Hutton observes, " This species in many 

 respects approaches Stichopus. I have had no specimens for 

 dissection, and cannot therefore say whether the reproductive 

 organs are in one or two bunches. A. knowledge of this will 

 settle to which genus it should be referred." 



My own dissections show that the reproductive organs are 

 arranged in two bunches, and the species must therefore be 

 referred to the genus Stichopus. 



Theel quotes Hutton's species in a list of imperfectly known 

 forms, but I think there can be no doubt that his Stichopus 

 sordidus, which the ' Challenger ' obtained plentifully in Cook 

 Straits, is identical therewith. 



Thanks to the kindness of Mr. H. B. Kirk, I was able myself 

 to collect specimens in Cook Straits, in the neighbourhood of 

 "Wellington, where the species is abundant in rock-pools, and 

 also to make observations on the living animal. Hutton's type 

 specimen appears to be no longer in existence, but I have 

 examined carefully a type-slide of spicules prepared by him, and 

 I do not think there can be any doubt of the identification. 



Probably the living animal varies considerably in colour. 

 Hutton described it as yellowish, mottled with brown, but the 

 usual colour appears to be nearly black, and it is possible, as we 

 shall see presently, that some of the light-coloured specimens 

 may belong to a distinct species. One specimen, however, which 

 undoubtedly belongs to Hutton's species, was during life " an 

 even white, not striped, on the ventral surface," as I am informed 

 by Mr. Kirk. 



The dorsal processes in life are very conspicuous, large and 

 sharply conical, some of them forming a crown around the 

 ventrally situated mouth, as described by Theel. The tube-feet 

 are numerous, and in life appear to be irregularly scattered over 



