118 SEA-CUCUMBERS. 



and of a nature between the animal and the 

 plant, and to differ from sponges only in their 

 being detached. May he not have had in view 

 the large, round, sponge-like algue called Spo?i- 

 godium, living free on the sea-bed and abundant 

 in the Greek seas? This is the more likely 

 since (in the fourth book and eighth chapter 

 of the History of Animals) he mentions the 

 Holothurice of modern naturalists distinctly, when 

 he states that experienced fishermen assert they 

 have speared when fishing, black, round, cylin- 

 drical animals like pieces of wood ; a description 

 which cannot be mistaken since it exactly applies 

 to the common Greek sea-cucumbers. 



Several species of Echinodermatous worms, 

 of the genera Sipunculus and Syrinx, are common 

 in the crevices of rocks near the margin of the 

 water ; also the Bonellia. 



Many beautiful Medusae inhabit the Gulf of 

 Macri ; species of Aurelia, Geryonia, Cephea and 

 Rhizostoma, Some of these, especially of the 

 last-mentioned genus, grow to a great size. Still 

 more beautiful is the curious creature, or mass of 

 creatures of this tribe, called Stephanomia. It 

 resembles a spike of beautiful flowers floating 

 beneath the surface of the water. One half 



