THE ECHINODERMS OF THE WOODS HOLE REGION. 
567 
Remarks. — This large and noticeable, one might even say handsome, holothurian, so abundant on 
the coast of Maine, just enters the Woods Hole region as a resident ol' the shoals east of Nantucket. 
In October, 1894, Mr. Edwards took 6 specimens in 23 to 25 fathoms, some 15 miles east-southeast of 
Sankaty Head, Nantucket, and in August, 1902, we took 2 good specimens in 12 fathoms, about 8 
miles off Sankaty Head. The latter were ready to breed, the reproductive glands being fully ripe, 
This sea-cucumber feeds upon small particles of organic matter picked up by the tentacles; It seems 
to prefer generally rocky or shelly bottoms. The larva is red, and passes through a metamorphosis, 
but the development is not fully known. Dr. William Stimpson reports this species as not only edible, 
but, when hoiled, “as palatable as lobster.” 
2. Cucumaria pulcherrima (Ayres). (PI. 11, fig. 70; pi. 12, figs. 81-85.) 
Pentamera pulcherrima Ayres, 1854. Verrill, 1873b. 
Thyone pulcherrima Semper, 1868. 
Cuciunnaria pulcherrima Lampert, 1885. 
Description. — Length 50 mm. or less; diameter 20 mm. or less. Body ovate, the two ends 
strongly upeurved (at least in preserved specimens), so that the ventral ambulacra are much longer 
than the dorsal. Tentacles 10, the 2 ventral much smaller than the others. Pedicels numerous, 
confined entirely to ambulacra. Calcareous deposits chiefly in the form of tables (fig. 84), which are 
very densely crowded together, so that the skin is quite hard. These tables, when simplest and most 
symmetrical, have a disk perforated with 4 holes and a small spire, usually made up of 2 rods with 
few teeth at the apex; but very frequently the disk is irregular in shape, and has 6, 8, 10, or 
more holes; in the pedicels the disks of the tables are elongated until near the tip of the foot they are 
simply supporting rods, usually having the ends perforated; terminal plates present; the tentacles 
contain very few supporting rods (fig. 85), and they are chiefly small and of very irregular shape, 
Cloacal opening surrounded by 5 tufts of pedicels, 3 or 4 in each, which are almost rigid with their 
crowded deposits; just within the cloacal opening is a ring of crowded calcareous plates (fig. 83), but 
so far as one can judge from preserved material there are no true “anal teeth.” Close to the cloacal 
opening the calcareous deposits become very much crowded and increase in size, thus coining to 
resemble large irregular perforated plates, often with scarcely a trace of the spire left. Calcareous- 
ring (fig. 81) well developed, quite high, the radial pieces with very long and slender posterior 
prolongations; stone canal single, terminating in a large madrepore plate (fig. 82) . Polian vessel single, 
small. Color white or whitish. 1 
Range. — Vineyard Sound to Fort Johnson, South Carolina; low water to 5 fathoms. 
Remarks. — Perhaps no one of our holothurians is less often seen alive than this one, nor is there 
any of whose habits less is known-. The original specimen was taken in shallow water, on the coast 
of South Carolina, buried 2 inches in the sand. Later the species was found at Fort Macon, North 
Carolina, and in Vineyard Sound. Prudden and Russell dredged specimens “ off Holmes Hole” 
(Vineyard Haven) in 4 to 5 fathoms, so Verrill (’73 b) reports, but he gives no date nor any other facts. 
Large numbers are frequently washed up on the beach near Nobska Light, on the north shore of the 
Sound, after long-continued or hard easterly storms; but in spite of very thorough dredging ami 
trawling in all depths from the shore outward, across to the Vineyard, Mr. Edwards tells me he 
knows of no specimens having been found, so that the habitat and habits of this species are still an 
enigma, and naturally the life history is unknown. During the winter of 1903 there were a number 
of specimens washed up on the bathing beach at Woods Hole, on the eastern side of Buzzards Bay. 
Mr. Gray, who very kindly sent me the specimens, says that there had been a long-continued period 
of heavy westerly winds. In these specimens the reproductive glands were very well developed, of 
a bright orange yellow, and their condition would seem to indicate that breeding occurs in the late 
winter or early spring. 
3. Thyone briareus (Lesueur). Common Thyone. (PL 11, fig. 67; pi. 13, figs. 95-102.) 
Holoihuria briareus Lesueur, 1824. 
Sclerodactyla briareus Ayres, 1851. 
Anaperus bryareus Pourtales, 1851. 
Thyone briareus Selenka, 1867. • 
Description. — Length up to 225 mm., according to the state of contraction, a fair-sized specimen in 
normal condition being 85 to 100 mm. in length and 25 to 30 mm. in diameter. Posterior end of the 
body rather abruptly tapering and pointed when normally extended, but not at all attenuated; often 
