oHap. xvi.] The Great Sea-cucumber. 287 
Well, I am proud to be able to record its occurrence on 
the Banffshire coast. The specimen I allude to was taken 
from the stomach of a cod.” 
But still more wonderful is that rare species, the great 
sea-cucumber (Cucumaria frondosa), the king of the Holo- 
thuride family, found on the Banffshire coast. Edward’s 
specimen was brought up on the fishermen’s lines. ‘‘ When 
at rest,” he says, “it is fully sixteen inches long. It is of 
a very deep purple on all except the under side, which is 
grayish. It is a most wonderful, and at the same time a 
most interesting, animal. What strange forms and curious 
shapes it assumes at will! Now it seems like a pear, and 
again like a large purse or long pudding. Sometimes it 
has the appearance of two monster potatoes joined end- 
ways, from which it diverges into a single bulb, with no 
suckers visible; and again it looks as long as my arm, rough 
and warty-looking. Its tentacula too, how curious they are! 
Simple to appearance, yet how complete and how beautiful 
withal. What strange forms and what beauteous creatures 
and inconceivable things there are in the ocean’s depths! 
What a pity it is that we can not traverse its hidden fields 
and explore its untrodden caverns !” 
Edward found numerous zoophytes along the coast, which 
excited his admiration almost as much as the star-fish. Of 
one species, called ‘‘dead-men’s paps,” “sea-fingers,” etc. 
(Alcyonium digitatum), he says, “It is frequently brought 
ashore by the fishermen, attached to shells and stones. It 
is curious to observe the strange and fantastic forms which 
these creatures at times assume. They are loathed by the 
generality of people when found on the sands. But were 
they to be seen in their proper element, with the beautiful 
leaf-like tentacula of the little polyps, thousands of which 
compose the living mass, these feelings of loathing would 
give place to wonder and delight. Touch one of those 
polyps, and it instantly contracts and withdraws its tenta- 
cles, while the others continue their movements. But 
