361 



of the Celebes is a yard long, ami called a " sea-eerpenl " by t he na- 

 tives ! * 



Two other large species, described by Lesson, were said to create a 

 burning sensation when handled; but it is not clear whether this 

 was caused by the anchors, or by orticating organs, like those of 

 tin- Actinia and £3olis. \<> such phamomenon could be detected by 

 Qnatrefages or other observers who hare handled the smaller Synapta 



when alive. 



The anatomy of these creatures appears to have been first in- 

 vestigated by Leuckhart +, who examined the Synapta vittata of 

 Forsk&l, and ascertained that it had no internal respiratory organs 

 like the Holothuria. 



Anchors and plates attributed to this species, which comes from the 

 shores of the Red Sea, near Suez, are to be found in the cabinet of 

 every microscopic observer. The slides are prepared in Paris, and 

 extensively re-manufactured in this country. The anchor-flukes are 

 plain and simple, and the articular end of the shank is deeply subdi- 

 vided. The plates are furnished with a raised arch at the smaller 

 end, forming a sort of cavity for the reception of the anchor-stock. 

 They are exactly like those figured in Midler's article, " Cber den 

 Ban der Echinodermen" (Berlin Trans. 18J4, t. G. f. 17), under the 

 name of 8. serpentina. There is a woodcut of them in Carpenter's 

 work on the Microscope ; and figures are also given in the Micro- 

 graphic Dictionary. Mr. Wm. Grieshach has a slide with the mi- 

 liary plates, which are oval and granular, very numerous, and all alike. 



Prof. Forbes was unacquainted with the anchors of the British 

 (Synapta, and Dr. Carpenter in his last work (1857) says it is not 

 known whether they have anchors, or wheels like Chiridota. 



We have obtained evidence of both the European Synapta from 

 several British localities ; and as the puhlished notices are scattered 

 in many works, we propose to give some account of them, with figures 

 of their spicula, and also to describe a new species from China. 



1. Synapta digitata (Holothuria), Montagu. (PI. XIV. 

 figs. 1-17.) 



The earliest account of this species appears to have been given by 

 Montagu X, who discovered it on the coast of Devonshire, and cor- 

 rectly observed its affinity with the Holothuria inharens of the 

 Zoologia Danica, but pointed out its characteristic difference bj the 

 epithet "digitata." It has four fingers to each of the twelve ten- 

 tacles, and a minute thumb which has been overlooked by all ob- 

 servers except J. Midler. It was again found, prior to 1818, bj 

 ('ranch (the Naturalisl to the Congo Expedition), whose specimens 

 are preserved in the British Museum §. In 1844 Mr. Joshua Aider 

 discovered it on the west coast of Scotland, the mosl northern lo- 



* Dinertatio de Holothoriii, Ito-Turic. + Ws»18Sl. 



id. Trans. \i p. 22. t. l. f.6. 

 § Gray, Catalogue of Hritish Radiata, p. 12. 



