214 MR L. N. G. RAMSAY ON POLYCH^TA OF THE FAMILY NEREIDS, 



X. gallapagensis Kbg. (8). From all these, however, the armature of the proboscis 

 exhibits considerable differences. No other species of nereid, to my knowledge, exhibits 

 a similar arrangement in group L, i.e. very numerous, minute, scattered conical parag- 

 naths. Again, there is in N. falklundica none of the markedly pectiniform arrange- 

 ment of the paragnaths of groups II., III., and IV. exhibited by N. variec/ata, 

 N. anomala, and N. gallapagensis. VII.-VIII. also are distinctive. 



This group of species, in common with the rest of the family, stands in considerable 

 need of revision. In the case of N. variegata, two different types appear to have been 

 confused under the one name by different authors. 



Nereis (Platynereis) australis (Schmarda). 



Nereis (Platynereis) australis, Ehlers (5), p. 26, pi. iii. f. 16-20, iv. f. 1-2. 

 Station 349. One specimen, dredged in 15 fathoms, sandy bottom, off Tussock 



Islands, Falkland Islands, December 2, 1903. 



Station 118. One specimen, Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, January 1903. 

 Station 478. One specimen, shore, Table Bay, South Africa, May 1 903. 

 Station 482. Four examples, in 2-8 fathoms, shells and sand, Houtjes Bay, 



Saldanha Bay, South Africa, May 21, 1903. 

 Station 483. Numerous examples, in 25 fathoms, sand and kelp. Entrance to 



Saldanha Bay, South Africa, May 21, 1904. 



The Scotia specimens are all small, none exceeding 4 mm. in width over pararodia, 

 by about 50 mm. in length. None is in the heteronereid state. Some are accompanied 

 by membranous tubes similar to those of N. dumerilii. 



EHLERS (4, p. 104), and BENHAM (l, p. 238), have indicated the wide range of this 

 species in the southern oceans, and reference should be made to these papers for the 

 synonymy. 



Nereis (Platynereis) dumerilii, And. et Edw., subsp. n. comata. (Plate, figs. 11-13.) 

 Nereis (Platynereis) dumerilii, M'Intosli (11), p. 302, rind figs. 



Station 536. 27 23' N., 33 06' W. One example, June 28, 1904. 



Station 538. 32 11' N., 34 10' W. Two examples, June 30, 1904. 



These were taken in mid-Atlantic, with the tow-net, among the floating gulf- weed 

 of the Sargasso Sea. Those from Station 538 were in typical membranous tubes among 

 the branches of the weed. They are small specimens, about 20 to 35 mm. long. One 

 at least is full of ova. 



The proboscis was in all cases inverted ; the two larger specimens were therefore 

 dissected ; the proboscis of one of these, detached, flattened out and mounted in balsam, 

 shows very clearly an armature of the type usual in N. dumerilii, that is, pectiniform 

 series of paragnaths in the areas III., IV., VI., and VII.-VIII. The last are practically 

 uniserial, and extend nearly half-way round the basal ring ; but some short combs, each 

 of a few teeth, occur in front, representing the more typical biserial arrangement. 



(HOY. SOC. EDIN. TRANS., VOL. L., 46.) 



