Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-07-04


as regularly as before OF course, hls
dimensions were very much less, for his
body was now q nearly empty pouch, con-
tanning nothing but the exceedingly DELI
cate respiratory trees" which correspond
to our lungs or to the gills of fishes. And
apparently the only reason why be had not
pinehed off these and elected them was
that their opening and attachment per-
tanned solely to the opposite extremity
from the mouth, as his manner of breath
ing had indicated The "brown egg was
now not more than fourth of its former
size, but it was in perfect condition, and a.
my subsequent observation showed, it was
fully
CAPABLE OF REPRODUCING
Eventually every one of the organs which
it had thus summaIily dismissed, and OF
resuming in every respect the condition IA
which | first found it. This faculty OF self
mutilation and self-reproduction Is char
acteristic of many forms OF the lower
grades OF animal life. One OF the most
curious features pertaining to these cucum-
bers Is that which relates to the manner in
which they travel, for travel they do,
though their motion is slow and their range
limited. II is done entirely by means OF
the suckers, which are in this species
the brown threads covering the surface.
Each sucker is delicate tube connecting
by an opening through the body wall with
an internal sac
BOTH SUCKER AND SAC
Are abundantly provided with muscular
hbers, and they are filled with fluid which
is incl0sed and is distinct from the sur
rounding water. The mechanism Of mo.
tion is this The muscles Of the internal
sac contract, the fluid is all driven out
ward, and the sucker, with its 6bers re-
laxed, becomes a brown thread, perhaps an
inch long. While thus extended it attaches
its extremity to some object, and the now
elongated muscles, beginning to contract,
force the fluid into the sac, shorten the
sucker, and draw the body of the animal
forward. Slow work it is true, but that is
the way of it, and that is the apparatus for
travelling not only of these animals but of
all the star fishes, sea urchins, etc., as well.
But the method by which the extremity
can be thus attached, as boys leather
''sucker" ia fastened to a stone, is not one
of the least curious feature. The sucker
does not end in point but seems as
though it had been cut off abruptly, and
in this abrupt extremity is inserted
minute calcareous plate, perforated with
MULTITUDEs OF HOLES.
These plates are most exquisitely beautiful
objects for microscopic examination. Each
one looks like a thin scale of glass from
one two-hundredth to one.fftieth of an
inch across, this minute area being drilled
infnitesimally with holes, perhaps many
dozens in number. while each hole exhibits
sharpness of detail and outline which no
drawing can represent otherwise than very
imperfectIy, for no human slill can match
it. When this transverse surface is APP
piled to anything solid it adheres so firmly
than in lifting one of the animals many of
the suckers are often torn away. But the
delicate calcareous plates are not confined
to the extremities of the suckers. They
are found in the inteeuments of almost
every portion of the surface. And it is strik.
ingly true that each species throughout the
whole line of the kolothuside has its own
peculiar forms of plates, and can be reoog.
nized by its plates micrOscopically as read.
lily as by its coarser outward resemblances.
And not only so, but we know that the
same law prevailed
LpNN AbOy
And that the plan of structure for those
which are geologically far removedfromus is
preserved inthetypes ofthe present day. We
have been looking all this time at a single
species, merely because it is common one
and easily obtained, but the number occur.
ring along our own coast is by no means
small, while the variety OF those inhabit-
ing the tropical waters is much greater.
None of ours have ever yet been made
sources of commerce, nor is it probable
that they ever will be. They are un-
doubtedly of value as articles Of food, and
have been repeatedly eaten and pronounced
palatable and nutritious. But as other sea
products of known excellence are more
abundant the cuoumbers and pumpkins
will scarcely, at least for the present, ap-
pear In our markets or on our tables.
On other regions, however, it is not 80.
Several species which inhabit the coral
reefs OF the South Pacific are gathered in
large quantities and sold under the Portu.
guese name of Biche de mdr-sea slug.
They are mostly consumed by the Chinese,
and like Others OF the peculiar objects
USED FOR FOOD
By the people Of the Flowery Land. they
can be found in any region where those
people congregate. being always available
in the Chinese shops OF San Francisco.
They are not particularly attractive in
look A piece OF very dry, old, wornout.
wrinkled harness leather, perhaps four
inches long, gives one o fair idea of a
common Biche de mar. But under
Chinese management in the culinary
way they make a soup which is--No,
won's go any further will stop there.
Perhaps you would like to try it if 30,
have no objection. will only remark
that Chinese cookery is not to my taste.
The slugs affording the Bicle de mar have
been gathered mostly at the Fiji Islands
When caught they are thrown into large
vats and allowed to remain until they have
elected all their internal organs, az al.
ready stated in the account of our own
species; they are then boiled, dried
and packed for transportation. Quite
a full account OF the fishery and the
mode of preparation is given by Captain
Wilkes in the third volume Of his report OF
the United States exploring expedition un.
4 L., II TEauy VnrI,