The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-16

Enormous Worm Like Creatures
That Explode After Their Capture.

Enormous Worm Lake Creatures
That Explode After Their Capture.
From the Seattle Post Intelligencer.
What Is believed to be a hitherto un-
known species of the spoonworm has been
pumped up from the depth of Elliott bay
by the dredger in operation near the Gen.
tennial mill. Specimens which have been
submitted to Prof. Trevor Kincaid of the
university are pronounced by him to be
different from any species previously
found in Puget Sound, but some what sim
lar to an Alaskan form of sea hfe.
The naimal found In the bay is of monde
script appearance, 1t resembles an OBJ
long transparent rubber bag allied with
water, and varies from three 10 Ave inches
in length. II is about as thick, generally.
as mans thumb. At each end are sew
eral circles of sharp bristies, colored like
brass and seemingly hard. These are be-
heved to be its defensive weapons The
bristies at one end are stronger and more
numerous than at the other Other spe-
cies have the bristles only at one end
THESE peculiar animals were first
brought to the surface about two weeks
ago by the dredger OF the Seattle ana
Lake Washington Waterway Company.
They were sucked up by the pumps from
depth OF from thirty TO thirty-five feet
and carried through the discharge pipes
to the point where the filling Is made.
There they were found by members of
the dregdger's crew, whose curiosity was
aroused by the appearance of the worms
number were collected and given to the
officers of the company
To reporter, Capt. w. Il. Roberts of
the dredger stated yesterday that the spe-
cieS was found In schools. He believes
that they live on rocks. and every time
they have been pumped up 80 far they
nave been accompa nied by pieces of stone
ana coal, which had been dumped into the
bay from ships discharging their baliast
we lind none for several days" he
said, and then they come In a bunch.
They appear to be able to travel on any
side, and wriggle along like a common
earthWorm. As far as i can learn Il is
not exactly known whether they live upon
the surface of the sea bottom or beneat tn
1t. We always find them submerged, and
believe they will die, If kept out OF their
natural elementvery long. They live on
smaller worms ard marine vegetation.
I should Judge that they do not have
much vitality, although they cut some
queer antics when out of the water"
Foreman Jones who, oversees the work
at the mouth Of the discharge pipe, says
the worms are called sea cucumbers, and
that they are very common. He declares
that he has often found some as long as
twenty inches CLOSE to the beach when
the tide was out. and that their mode OF
travel is exactly like that of a snake,
At one end, he says. they have large suck
ers, by means of which they capture
smaller forms of life. II Is believed by
others that Mr.. Jones has COMPOUNDED tho
species with some other
specimenuof the worm sent 10 the
observation-disclosures was submitted for ext
animation to Prof. Kincaid of the zoolog-
zeal chair at the State University Tine
specimen had been kept overnight In an
empty cigar box, and when examined was
| found TO have exploded. only a fragment
Of dried skin remaining. Prof Kincaid
pronounced IL a species of eehiuru, one OF
the spoon worms, or sipuncloldea- The
latter, he said, were allied to the earth
worm. There Is a large difference between
them, however as the sea species does not
have his body divided into compartments
Prof. kincaid states that the species sub
mitted to him for examination is unlike
any species SO far recorded from Puget
Sound. These resemble an Alaskan form,
differing from the latter In the possession
| of bristles at both ends Instead OF only
at one extremity. a.