333 
body wall not closing above the retracted anterior end but form- 
ing a deep, round funnel, at the bottom of which the contracted 
tentacles are just seen (Fig. 24). 
The colour is usually pink on the dorsal side, differing thus 
conspicuously from the typical form, which is dark, nearly black, 
at the anterior end on the dorsal side. 
Those specimens from Masked Island, which I refer to the 
typical form, are well distinguished from the variety, besides by 
their dark, blackish colour, through the faet that 
the tubefeet of the dorsal radii are not scattered 
over the interradii, or at most in a very slight 
degree, while according to Hutton and Den dy 
they are scattered over the interradii in the typical 
brevidentis, as is the case in the \sir. carnleyensis. 
Thus it is not beyond doubt whether it is correct 
to refer these specimens to the typical brevidentis. 
As I have no larger specimens of the typical bre¬ 
videntis from localities, where the variety does not 
oceur, I am not in a position to give all the in¬ 
formation wanted as regards the characters dist- 
inguishing the variety from the typical form. The 
calcareous deposits are alike in both, and in their 
internal anatomy there would appear to be no dif¬ 
ference either. 
Nevertheless, there can hardly be any doubt but that they re¬ 
present two distinet forms, perhaps rather two separate species, the 
proof thereof being afforded by the young ones; my material of 
these consists of some specimens of the typical form from a size 
of 2 mm (from Cape Maria van Diemen, where the variety does 
not oceur) and of numerous specimens from a size of only l.s mm 
of the variety (from Masked Island, Carnley Harbour). In the 
youngest specimens of the typical form the skin contains a num- 
ber of larger, smooth plates of varying sizes, which do not fit to- 
gether so as to form a close mail; the outer layer of the skin is 
full of the fine, delicate cups characteristic of the species. In the 
variety the skin contains similar smooth plates; but these are larger, 
of a uniform size, and fit together, partly even overlapping, so as 
to form a close mail, recalling the^ covering of a Psolus (Fig. 
Fig. 24. Cueuma- 
ria brevidentis, 
var. carnleyensis. 
Large specimen 
in a contracted 
State. Nat. size. 
