114 VOYAGE FROM INDIA TO SIAM AND MALACCA. 



pea, to which it also resembles in colour, but when the mollusc 

 swims in the sea, the stomach seems to be red. It consists of a 

 brownish-red skm ; in front it is enclosed by the aforementioned 

 tube, and is hardly discernible ; at the back there is a large 

 projecting transverse slit turned upwards, from which yellow- 

 green excrements are frequently ejected. I could not detect any 

 finer organs, because the whole body was transparent, except the 

 region immediately round the stomach, which was of a dull milk- 

 colour; there also I could sometimes discern very fine tubes, 

 moving in a snakelike manner In some specimens. I detected a 

 long hairlike tube, running' along' the back and leaving tiny red 

 spots. The whole body consists of a crystalline hard gelatine only 

 the stomach is brownish-red. 



AA^ien this animal swims in the sea the stomach is turned 

 upwards, because it is growing at the back, and its mouth lies 

 lower. The back opening of this tubular animal is more horizon- 

 tal ; it constantly draws in much water through its mouth, where- 

 upon it presses its sides together, so that the water is spurted out 

 of the back opening, and this repeated performance, gives the 

 animal a peculiar force to move on rapidly in the water. I have 

 seen some small nisei (crustaceans) near them and in them. I 

 also watched a red worm, about two lines long being sucked in 

 by the mouth. It stopped underneath the smaller tube leading into 

 the stomach, where it remained perfectly motionless as if dead, 

 though shortly before in the water it had moved with great 

 quickness ; after a few peristaltic movements, the water seized it 

 and took it out of the animal, and as soon as it was free again it 

 was just so lively as it had been before. 



The shape of the mollusc alters as soon as one takes it out 

 of the water, because the hindermost thinner tube draws itself to- 

 gether as far as to the stomach, and the animal resembles a sack, 

 the sides equally shrivel up. In spirits of wine it becomes much 

 smaller and takes a milky colour. I had put a few of them to 

 dry on Chinese blotting paper, and even two hours after, I could 

 detect the contracting- movement, though their bodies had con- 

 tracted to half the usual size. There were a few ants on these 

 animals later on. This mollusc forms quite a special class, and 

 cinnot possibly be a Medusa. 



I stuffed the Diodon ostingce in order to preserve it ; the fins 

 had twenty rays at the breast, ten double ones behind and ten rays 



