642 ECIIINODERMATA. 



of them as a principal ingredient in restorative soups. The Malays catch and dry them in great quau- 

 iilies for the Chinese markets, where they fetch a high price, and are called tre-pany,'] 



THE SECOND ORDEK OF THE ECHINODERMATA. 



APOUA. 



The number of known species in this order is but few. They resemble Holotluirirc, but want 

 the feet; and their leather-like skin is quite unarmed. 



MOLPADIA, — 



Have the form of the liody and the internal structure similar to those of Ilolothuria, Imt they havn \io 

 feet or tentacula, anrl tlie bony parts of the mouth are less comphcated than in tlie Echuii. 

 M. holotliurloldesj of tlie Atlantic ocean, was the only species known to Cuvier. 



MiNYAS, — 



Have the body without feet, but of a spheroidal form, and furrowed like a melon. 



M. cyaiiea, is a beautiful species, of a dark blue colour, inliabiting- the warmer parts of the Atlantic ; the moutU 

 in this genus has neither tentacula nor bony plates. 



Priapljliis, — 

 Have the body cylindrical, with deep annular rugre, and terminated anteriorly by an elliptical and longi- 

 tudinally wrinkled mass, in the centre of which is the mouth, with numerous teeth arranged in quia- 

 cunx, and having the points turned backwards. Tlie muscular system resembles that of Hulothuria. 

 P. vulgaris, the only known species, inhabits the northern seas, and is from two to three inches in leng^th. 



LiTHODERMIS, — 



Have the body oval, compressed in the hinder part, and covered aliove with an extremely bard granu^ 

 lated crust; the mouth has tentacula, Imt Cuvier discovered no second opening to the bo<ly. 



Only one species, L. cuneits, from the Indian seas, about two inches long, and of a blackish colour, was known 

 to Cuvier. 



SlPUUNCULUS, — 



Have the body long and cylindrical, and wrinkled both longitudinally and across ; the mouth is an 

 extensile and retractile proboscis ; the intestine straight for nearly 

 the whole length of the body, and then returning in a spiral upon 

 itself. In these, and indeed in most of the order, there are threads 

 ^which appear to he nerves, and in tlii^ genus tbe breathing apparatus 

 Fig. i.rj.— siphunfuiufl. ^j.^ Qj-j ^-[^Q sides, and open near the vent. 



Tliere are a s;ood many species, most of which live in the sand, though some small ones perforate submarine 

 rocks, anil lodge in the cavities. S. eduVis, which is eaten by the Cliinese in tlie Oriental islands, occurs also in 

 the salt lakes of Languedoc. They are used by the fishermen as bait. Some Indian species are nearly two feet 

 long. They used to be classed with worms, but their organization is quite different. 



BONELLIA, 



Have the body oval ; the proboscis very extensile, and forked at the extremity : their intestinal canal 

 is long and convoluted. AYhat appear to be the organs of respiration are situated near the vent ; and 

 the ovary is an oblong sac which opens near the base of the proboscis. They inhabit the sand at a 

 considerable depth, and can elevate their proboscis to the water, or even to the air, where the water is 

 very shallow. 

 B. v'fi-hUti, Ufa green colour, and is found in the Mediterranean. 



Thalassi^ma, — 

 Have the body oval or oblong, and the proboscis in the form of laminae, resembling the bowl of a spoon, 

 but not forked. The intestinal canal resembles that of the preceding genus, but they have only one 

 abdominal thread. 

 They are distinguislied into Thalassema proper, which iiavc two lateral honks placed considerably in advance. 



