345 
HOLOI 
cylindrical, in form not unlike a cucumber, and will 
often grow to a foot in length. It is covered all over 
with white papillas, which are rettaftile; fo that, when 
protruded, they have the appearance and eft'eift of prickles ; 
when retraced, they appear like pellucid drops on the 
furface of the fkin ; when the animal dies, thefe prickles, 
and even the rudiments of them, entirely difappear. The 
mouth, or upper orifice, is furnilhed with twenty tenta¬ 
cula, which are ftellate or branched, and ferve as feelers 
to deteft and gral'p its food ; they being all retraftile, like 
the horns of i'nails. The whole animal has the power of 
extending or contracting itfelf at pleafure ; fo that, when 
in fearch of food, it is feen in an elongated or cylindrical 
form ; when filled, and at reft, in a broad or oval form. 
When touched, it matiifefts its fenfe of being difturbed, 
by fweiling its body. The colour of its back is a reddifh 
brown ; Tides and belly whitilh grey ; band round the 
mouth, and the anal or pofterior orifice, dull red. This 
curious fpecies is correctly delineated in the Holothuria 
Plate I. fig. i, in its expanded or elongated ftate. Tig. s', 
reprefents the fame animal in its contracted ftate, with 
the belly diffeCted open, in order to Ihow the ftruCtur.e of 
its internal organs. In the upper part, juft below the 
mouth, hangs a bag, which receives all the indigeftible 
parts of its food, and returns them through the lame open¬ 
ing ; but the exCrementitious fluid or water taken into 
the inteftines, which are large' and capacious, and of a 
blackifh-green colour, is fquirted out with the force of a 
fiphon, through the anal orifice. The layers of mu'cular 
fibre which line the cuticle, form ftripes of yellowilh and 
red, and fliow the annular furrows or wrinkles, on the 
red parts, wlijcli give the animal the power of locoma- 
tion, by alternately contracting and extending its body, 
like the fnail or earth-worm. The liver is yellowilh- 
brown, covered with convoluted cirri; below which is 
the ovarium, changed with its young. At a, is fliown 
two of the tentacula, removed from the orifice of the 
mouth, and greatly magnified, to exhibit the ftellated 
feelers when put in action, or extended to catch its prey, 
which Confifts of l'mall marine fhell and other animals, of 
various kinds. This principally inhabits the Northern 
Seas ; and in the higher latitudes it partakes almoft entirely 
of a hoary whitenefs. 
2. Holothuria priapus ; a fmall but curious fpecies, dif¬ 
fering greatly from all its congeners. One part of the 
body is about four inches long, yellowifh-brown, made 
up of numerous annular rings or ftrias, from which it de¬ 
rives its power of motion. The other part of the body 
confifts of a large gland, about an inch and a half or two 
inches long, thicker than the other part, inflated, and co¬ 
vered with longitudinal ftrice, or in an oppoflte direCtiqri 
to thofe of the other part of the body, and of a reddifli 
Colour. Thefe longitudinal ftriae are twenty-four in num¬ 
ber, terminating in an annular ring, which forms a con¬ 
cave orifice, furniflied with numerous recurvated fpines 
within. The orifice at the extremity of the other part, 
or body properly To called, is lurrounded by three wrin¬ 
kled ftriae, from which it has the faculty of protruding 
and retracting at pleafure, a large fafciculus or mafs of 
tentacula, as reprefented in the aforementioned Engrav¬ 
ing, at fig. 3. This is an inhabitant of the Indian and 
Mediterranean Seas. 
3. Holothuria phantapus, a moll lingular fpecies, en¬ 
dued with the power of affixing itfelf immoveably to any 
foreign body. Externally, and in the adult ftate, it is of 
a braffy or yellowilh colour; but by means of a black 
mucous matter which exudes through the pores of the 
Ikin, its general appearance is that of a dark difcoloured 
bronze. When contracted and at reftf its fliape is rather 
ovate, obtufe at one end, and conic or tapering at the 
other ; but it has the power of extending itfelf into a cy ¬ 
lindrical form, by means of numerous wrinkles or ft rim 
with which the mufcles of the anterior and pofterior parts 
are furnilhed ; and the mufcles of the body being made 
tip with tranfverfe ftriae, are calculated to give greater ex- 
Vol. X. No. 657. 
1 H XJ R 1 A. 
ertion either to the head or tail, as occafion may require. 
The anterior end is of a pale pink colour, covered with 
deep red papillae ; in the centre of which is the orifice or 
mouth of the animal, furniflied with ftrong flelhy tenta- 
culos, confifting of ten branches, fimbriated at the extre¬ 
mities, retraCtile, and apparently endued with a very deli ¬ 
cate fenfe of feeling. The pofterior extremity is perfo¬ 
rated for the exclufion of water, and is of a reddilh co¬ 
lour, lurrounded with fmall tentacula. The abdomen or 
belly is flattened, and covered all over with lead-coloured, 
papillae, which aCt as fuckers, and enable the animal to 
affix itfelf immoveably to a rock or other fubllances, where 
it is deftined to wait for its prey, amidft the dafhing waves 
cff the turbulent ocean. This fpecies is delineated on the 
Holothuria Plate II. at fig. t, in its contracted or qui- 
efcent ltate. Fig. 2, (hows the pofterior extremity, fome- 
what magnified, with the fmall tentacula exferted. Fig. 3, 
reprefents the anterior part, or orifice of the mouth, mag¬ 
nified, with the ten branched tentacula prepared for pi j- 
trufion. Fig. 4, exhibits the tentacula when completely 
protruded, and fully expanded to feize its prey.* Fig. 5, 
is a difieCtion of the body, by profefior Muller, Ihowing 
the beautiful anaftomofes of the vefleis in the membrane 
which covers the mufcles, with the arrangement of the iri- 
teftines and other vifcera. It inhabits the Norway and 
Mediterranean Seas. At a, is delineated one of the young 
of this fpecies, which is at firft covered over with a kind 
of thin fcales, that afterwards fall off, but which (hine 
like bumifhed gold. Its pofterior part is not completely 
evolved ; but the anteribr is fliown in the full vigour o: 
throwing out its tentacula in fearch of food. At b, the 
fame young phafltapus is fhown with the tentacula re- 
traded, and at reft, but with the peduncles of the belly 
thrown out, to attach itfelf fecurelv to its temporary relt- 
ing-place. At c, is fliown one of the young tentacula; 
and at d, one of the peduncles or fuckers; both magnified. 
It is a pleafing as well as curious fight, to fee thefe little 
creatures fhining like ftars round the dufky parent, on the 
broken rocks and fliingles of the fea-fliore. 
4. Holothuria frondofa: fo named from the tpntacula 
being frondofe, or in the fliape of fronds- or fern-leaves. 
Body fmootli, ovate-oblong ; and yellowiih-green ; tenta¬ 
cula ten, larger than the head; with three apertures be¬ 
hind the head, approximate, and a lateral one more re¬ 
mote. Inhabits the North Seas. 
5. Holothuria tremula, or quivering holothuria: from 
eight to twelve inches in length. Its figure is cyiindric 
when in aCtion; but contraded into a ball when at reft. 
The back is dark brown, covered with pyramidal nipples, 
of a dark colour at their balls, but white at their apex. 
They are of two different fizes; the larger occupy the 
length of the back, in number fourteen on each fide. 
The fmaller are fcattered without order, in every part'or 
the back. Out of them all exi'udes a whitifli mucilage, 
ferving to lubricate the bodyu Hence all the nipples 
feem to be fo many glands furniflied with an excretory- 
dud, the aperture of which is fo minute as not to-be dif. 
coverable byr the help of a common magnifier. The belly 
is of a pale brown, fet all over with cyiindric tentacula, 
in fuch numbers that the head of a pin could fcarcely 
find room between them. They are of a Aiming white 
nef's, except the extremity, which is of a dark colour, and 
fhaped like a focket. By the help of thefe the creature 
fixes its body at the bottom of the Tea, or at the foot of 
rocks, fo as not to be forced away by waves or tempefts. 
It is a native of the Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas. 
6. Holothuria phyfalis: body ovate, fomewhat trian¬ 
gular, carinated, or keel-fhaped. It has very much the 
appearance of a tranfparent bladder, of confiderable five, 
and of a fine rofe-colour inclining to purple, green_on fin¬ 
back, with a.fort of fimbriated keel formed in feftoon?, 
rnd placed like a rulf on the upper part. By railing this 
appendage'above the water, it makes it ferve the purpole 
of a fail. A number cf pendulous cirri or feelers proceed 
from the under fide, which enable it either to feize and 
3 R devour 
