MARINE WORMS 181 



a sea mouse at some time or other, a few words concerning the best 

 methods of doing this may be of value. If it is to be preserved 

 in fluid, it should be thoroughly washed to remove all the mud 

 that normally covers its body, and then placed hi spirit or formal- 

 dehyde, both of which fluids have no destructive effects on the iri- 

 descent colouring of the bristles. If, however, it is desired to keep 

 the specimen in a dry state, it should first be put into strong spirit 

 containing a few grains of corrosive sublimate, for a few days. It 

 should then be put under considerable pressure between several 

 thicknesses of absorbent paper to expel the fluid it contains, as well 

 as all the softer internal structures. By this means it will have 

 been squeezed quite flat, so that it presents anything but a natural 

 appearance ; but the skin may be blown out to the normal shape 

 by means of a glass tube inserted into the mouth, and then set aside 

 to dry. As the water it originally contained has been extracted 

 by the strong spirit, the drying takes place very quickly ; and the 

 small amount of corrosive sublimate that has penetrated into its 

 substance will be sufficient to protect it from the invasion of those 

 pests that commonly attack our museum specimens. 



Passing now to the sedentary or fixed worms, we meet with 

 some that are very interesting and beautiful creatures, even when 

 considered apart from the wonderful homes they construct. The 

 several species of the genus Terebella form a soft and flexible tube 

 by binding together particles of sand, shells, or mud with a sticky 

 substance that exudes from their own bodies. These tubes are to 

 be found in abundance between the tide-marks on almost every 

 low, sandy shore, the nature of the tubes varying, of course, with 

 the character of the materials at the disposal of the builder. 



In some cases the tubes are exposed throughout the greater 

 part of their length, but very frequently they are more or less 

 buried in the sand or other material of the beach, so that one has 

 to dig to a moderate depth in order to extricate them. In 

 either case, however, the tube of Terebella may be known by 

 the free tufts of sandy threads that form a deep fringe around its 

 mouth. 



These worms almost invariably select a sheltered situation for 

 their abode, and should be searched for at the foot of rocks, or 

 under stones, and it is no easy matter to move the buried tube 

 with its occupant intact. 



When turning over the stones of a sandy or muddy beach one 

 frequently discovers the slender, thread-like tentacles of the 



