52 
BLUEFIELDS. 
flesh enveloping the skeleton, they were in the very 
best condition. 
A few yards from the beach the bottom is a white 
tenacious marl, covered with a dense but short coat 
of marine grass. On this lie in the shallow water 
many Holothurice ; they are soft and flaccid when 
first taken out of their element, but after being held 
in the hand a few moments they become tense and 
stiff, and usually discharge a small stream of water 
from the extremity of the body. They do this, I 
find, even if held under water: it is doubtless the 
result of strong muscular contraction. They are 
sluggish, unattractive animals, of a dull olive tint. 
A species of Swimming-crab [Lupa) common in these 
shallows is very active and fierce, extending its open 
claws in a threatening manner when danger is near ; 
but, if allowed to escape by swimming, it does so 
rapidly, bending up the claw of the side which hap- 
pens to be foremost, and allowing the other to stretch 
out behind. Probably this is the arrangement in 
which these unwieldy members offer least resistance 
to the water in progression. 
Raking with an insect-net among the weeds in 
these shallows, I captured a Sole of small size, 
prettily marked in ’a netted pattern of confluent 
lines.* 
* It appears to be new, and may be thus described ; — The Inscribed 
Solenette, Monochirus inscriptws (Plate I. Fig. 4.); Right pectoral 
composed of two minute filaments, left composed of a single one 
almost obsolete. Ventrals indistinct, brush-like, united to each other, 
and to the anal. Anal and dorsal united to the caudal. Form nearly 
oval, slightly tapering ; caudal rounded ; mouth and chin fringed 
with short bristles ; mouth much decurved ; lower eye close to rictus. 
