| OCR Text |
Show 1887.] PROF. F. J. B E L L O N HOLOTHUROIDS. 533 anus distinctly five-rayed, with several hard papillee along which look almost like the " teeth " of Actinopyga. The body-wall is pretty thick, and, in the specimen dissected, was for 30 millim., at a distance of 40 millim. from the anterior end, particularly thick. It is impossible, from the condition of the specimen, to describe fully the internal anatomy, but the tentacular ampullae were seen to be long, the oesophageal ring to be moderately developed, the radial pieces having a deep anterior notch. The Cuvierian organs are small or absent. The spicules are numerous, very thick, basket-like spheres with small holes and prominent knobs (Plate XLV. fig. 4). Colour black. The two specimens measure respectively 240 millim. by 100 millim. and 185 millim. by 95 millim. Hab. Samoa. Collected and presented by Rev. S. J. Whitmee. HOLOTHURIA (BOHADSCHIA) INERMIS, sp. nov. A species distinguished by the absence of spicules and calcareous ring. Body elongated, tapering somewhat at either end ; suckers very thick in trivium, scattered and much rarer in bivium ; three indistinctly marked trivial rows; about the middle of the trivium the suckers less closely packed than at either end. Anus five-rayed, the sides of the rays with papillae. Twenty black tentacles ; pharynx quite devoid of oesophageal ring ; no calcareous deposits. Colour dark brown, the suckers and tentacles still darker. Hab. West Indies. In order to retain the general form of the single complete specimen, I have not made a complete dissection; fortunately, however, there is an anterior end of a second specimen, and by it I have been able to assure myself that the absence of the calcareous ring is not an individual peculiarity. HOLOTHURIA K.^PIOLANI^E, sp. nov. (Plate XLV. fig. 5.) Body elongated, soft to the touch, covered with suckers, more numerous below than above, scattered quite irregularly ; obscurely marked papillae round the anus. Oesophageal ring of ordinary type, the pieces simple and low, with a rather deep notch posteriorly; stone-canal not remarkably long ; two Polian vesicles; genital tubes short and not numerous ; Cuvierian organs absent or poorly developed. The spicules merely in the form of delicate, slightly curved, very spiny rods. Colour brownish grey, lighter below; with two rows of eight or nine dark patches on either side of the back. The single specimen is 50 millim. long, and has an average width of 10 millim. Sandwich Islands. This species appears to be most closely allied to H. erinaceus, from which, however, the much smaller stone-canal and the very differently formed spicules are sufficient to distinguish it. |
