VOL. XIX. (2) NOTES ON CH IRODOT A -^PlCVhES 
1 1.5 
NOTES ON C///i? 0 T> 07 \ 4 -SPICULES FROM THE 
LIAS AND INFERIOR OOLITE. 
BY 
CHARLES UPTON. 
(Read November 23rd, 1915.) 
The Chirodota constitute a genus of the order Holothuroidea 
of the class Echinodermata. The Holothurians — popularly 
known as “ Sea Cucumbers ” — have no hard external covering 
plates such as occur on the Sea Urchins and Star Fishes, but 
consist of a soft vermiform or slug-like body, without anything 
in the nature of calcareous protecting armour or internal 
skeleton. Two species at least are now living. 
Some of the genera are possessed of calcareous spicules 
secreted by and imbedded in or attached to the integument. 
Synapta and Chirodota are, perhaps, the best known, plates 
and “ anchors " of the former, and “ wheels ” of the latter 
being amongst the objects commonly found in the cabinets of 
microscopists. 
As might have been expected, the only parts of the 
Holothuroidea capable of preservation as fossils are the spicules. 
No other remains are known. 
Spicules of Chirodota have been found in most of the 
secondary formations of marine origin, and have been recorded 
from the Jurassic rocks of various places in France, Germany, 
and India, as well as our own country. 
Of British forms Charles Moore in the British Associa- 
tion Report for 1872 describes one species from the Oolite, 
Chirodota Carpenteri, and refers to three Liassic forms, 
but without names or descriptions. The Rev. G. F. Whid- 
borne, in the Quarterly Journal for 1883," figures and describes 
two forms, Chirodota convexa and C. gracillima, from the 
Inferior Oolite of Burton Bradstock, probably — Mr Richardson 
thinks — from the Sponge Beds {schlcenhachi) of Burton Cliff. 
Many years ago I found a specimen in the Upper Chalk of 
Purley, in Surrey. Tliose are the only previous British records 
known to me. 
I Q.J.G.S., xxxix., p. 487, pi. xix., figs. 14, iS- 
