The Scranton chronicle. (Scranton, Miss.) 1897-19??, 1901-03-23
STRANGE FORMS OF SEA LIFE.
live In schools aud Are Armed with
Bristles Hitherto Unknown
Species Brought To Surface.

What Is believed TO he hitherto
unknown species Of the spoon-worm
has been pumped up from the depths
OF Elliott bay by the dredger in opera
tion near the Centennial mill. Speci-
mems which have been submitted TO
Prof. Trevor kincaid, of the university,
are pronounced by him 10 be different
from any species previously found in
Puget sound, but somewhat similar 70
an Alaskan form OF sea life, says the
Seattle rost-lntelligeueer.
The animal found In the bay iE Of
nondeseript appearance. II resembles
an oblong transparent rubber bag
filled with water and varies from three
to five inches in length. II is about
as thick, generally, as a mans thumb.
Az each end are several circles OF
sharp bristles, colored like brass and
seemingly as hard These are believed
TO be Its defensive weapons. The bris>
ties at one end are stronger and more
numerous than at the other. Other
species have the bristles only at one
end.
These peculiar animals were first
brought 10 the surface about two
weeks ego by the dredger of the Seat
tie & Lake Washington Waterway Co,
They we're sucked up by The pumps
from a depth OF from 30 TO Is feet and
carried through the discharge pipes
to the point where the filling Is being
made There they were found by mem
bers of the dredgers crew, whose Gu.
riosi.y WAS aroused by the appearance
OF the worms. A number were collect
ed and given TO the officers OF the com.
pany.
Capt W T. Roberts, OF the dredger,
stated thnt the species was found In
schools. lie believes that they live
on rocks and every time they have
been pumped up so far they have been
accompanied by pieces of stone and
coal. which had been dumped into the
bay from ships discharging their bal
last.
I'VE find none for several days" he
said "and then they come in bunch.
| They appear TO be able TO travel on any
side and wriggle along like common
earth worm. As far as | can learn II
is not exactly known whether they live
upon the surface of the sen bottom OF
beneath II. We always find them sub
merged and / believe they will die II
kept out OF their natural element very
long. They live on smaller worms and
marine vegetation. should Judge that
they do not have much vitality, al
though they cut some queer antics
when out Of the water"
Foreman Jones. who oversees tbs
work at the mouth of the dischnrg
pipe, says the worms are called sei
cucumbers and that they are yer.
common. He declares that he ba
often found some as long as 20 inche
close TO the beach when the tide wa
out and that their mode of travel !
exactly like that OF snake. AT on
end, he says, they have large sucker,
by means OF which they capture small
er forms of life. IL is believed by 9th
ers that Mr.. Jones has confounded tn
species with some other
A specimen OF the worm sent TO III
Post-1ntelligencer was submitted 70
examination TO Prof Kincaid. OF th
geological chair at the state university
The specimen had been kept overnigh
in an empty cigar box and when ex
amined was found TO have exploded
only fragment Of dried skin remain
ing. Prof. Kincaid pronounced IL
species OF echiurus, one OF the spool
worms, or sipuncuioldea. The latte
he said, were allied TO the earthworm
There is n large difference betweeI
them. however, as the sea species doe
not have his body divided iato compart
ments. Prof. Kincaid states that tn
specimen submitted to him for exam
ination Is unlike any species so far re
corded from Puget sound. They re
semble an Alaskan form, differing from
the latter in the possession Of bristle
at both ends instead of only at one ex
tremity.
REPORTS UPON THE INSANE