Page:Sea and River-side Rambles in Victoria.djvu/67

48 History of the Seaweeds of Australia; the Jelly fishes always abound, but are generally in a state of decomposition, and the slug-like creatures from the touch of which one almost shrinks, are worthy of more attention than we are at first inclined to give them. It will astound some of our readers to hear that these slimy creatures (Holothuria, or Sea Cucumbers,) belong to the same division as the Starfishes and Sea-eggs, and like them have suckers, varying perhaps in different species, by which progression is effected, and for plumose tentacles they have the most beautiful that can be imagined. There is one habit however they have, which is more singular than pleasant,—the getting rid of their intestines whenever handled. Forbes does not think this is the case, but our own experience confirms the statements of other writers, and Rymer Jones gives as a reason, that "the slightest irritation applied to the surface of the body causes such powerful contractions of the integument that the thin membranes of the cloaca unable to withstand the pressure, become lacerated, and large portions of the intestine and other viscera are forced from the anal aperture." Sir John Daly ell however states that they have the power of reproducing the alimentary canal.

For the mode of manufacturing these creatures into a substance much used by the Chinese, and called "trepang, we must refer to the ' " Curiosities of Food, ' " a work of much interest, not long since brought out by Mr. Simmonds, remarking only that a large quantity is annually exported, we believe, from Northern Australia, and only a few years since a Company was started in Western Australia for carrying out this