58 Couthouy's New Species of Mollusca 
HOLOTHURIA CHRYSACANTHOPHORA. 
H. tentaculis — ? corpore molli, cylindrico, cinereo-lutescente, spinis 
aureis, exilibus, frequentibus instructo. 
Holothuria with —? tentacule ; body soft and of an 
ashy yellow color, divided into five compartments by 
as many dotted longitudinal lines, covered with minute 
blackish grains, easily effaced by rubbing ; numerous 
slender spines of a bright golden hue and varying in 
length from one eighth to four eighths of an inch, are 
irregularly disposed over the whole surface, in the great- 
est numbers around the mouth. 
Length four to five inches. 
Hab. Massachusetts Bay. 
Collection of Bost. Soc. Nat. History. 
OssEnvaATIONs. This species which, by its prominent, 
needle-like spines, appears to form a link between the 
Echini and Fistulides, was obtained from the vicinity of 
Cape Ann. Unfortunately, none of the specimens were 
found perfect about the mouth, and in most, the spines 
had nearly all fallen off; the déscription is therefore 
necessarily deficient. Nevertheless, amply sufficient re- 
mained to distinguish this from any known species, and 
enable the perfect animal to be identified with ease. 
The spines do not appear to be calcareous in their com- 
position, but rather an indurated prolongation of the 
muscle connecting them with the internal membrane. 
They are slightly curved at their termination, and capa- 
ble of being withdrawn into the body or moved with 
freedom in any direction. Specimens in drying con- 
tract to less than one third their natural size, and assume 
a dark, semi-transparent, corneous j SRPPATRDOR. very 
