44 



LEODICID.E OF THE WEST INDIAN REGION. 



The gills begin on the fifth setigerous somite. I have found individuals with only 

 1 or 2 branches on this somite, but there are usually more. Two specimens from the 

 Dry Tortugas, of approximately the same size, had respectively 5 and 12 branches on 

 this first gill. There is very great irregularity in the structure of the gills in that fila- 

 ments may branch or the number of filaments be very unequal in different individuals. 

 Between the fifth and eighteenth somites the number may be as great as 18; from here 

 backward there is a decrease in number, but gills may extend beyond the two-hundredth 

 somite. 



The simple setse are very long and slender, with a finely toothed margin on the 

 shaft (text-figure 130, showing only a detail of the shaft). The compound setse (text- 

 figure 131) have very long and heavy basal portions, the terminal joints being small 

 and without teeth. This terminal joint is apparently easily broken away, for it is 

 always hard to find a seta in perfect condition. The pectinate setse (text-figure 132) 

 have narrow shafts and broad ends, with about 18 teeth, the terminal ones being longer 

 than the others. The aciculse (text-figure 133) are uniform in character throughout the 

 body, are brown, bluntly rounded at the end, and none is toothed or hooded. 



The maxilla (text-figure 134) is almost black, the carriers short and narrow, the 

 forceps heavy. Each proximal paired plate has a small apical and 4 other much larger 

 teeth. The distal paired plates have 7 teeth on the right and 4 on the left; the unpaired 

 has 7. Small, dark patches occur in two pairs, lateral and distal to the distal paired 

 plates. The mandible (text-figure 135) has very dark, rather heavy shafts, and the 

 beveled surface is covered with white. 



Leodice fucata was described by Ehlers, with whose description my specimens agree 

 except in some minor details. As stated above, the intersegmental depressions which 

 he figured are due to the preservation, and on the terminal joint of the compound setae 



135 



131 128 133 



TEXT-FIGURES 127 to 135. Leodice fucata Ehlers. 



134 



127. First parapoclium x20. 130. Detail of simple seta x310. 



128. Tenth parapodium x20. 131. Compound seta x310. 



129. Two-hundredth parapodium x30. 132. Pectinate seta x310. 



133. Acicula x310. 



134. Maxilla xlO. 



135. Mandible xlO. 



