71 

 Fam. MALDANID^ 



NICOMACHE Li'MBRiCALis, (O. Fabriciiis), var. CapensTSj- 



(Mclntosh). 



1780. Sahclla luinbricalis, O, Fabricius, Faun. Groenl, p. 374, 



1856. Clymene liiinbi icalis, Sars, Faun. lit. Norveg, II., p. 16. 

 Tab. 2., figs. 23-26. 



1885. Nicouiache capcnsis, Mcintosh, Ann. " Challenger," p. 

 399, PI. XLVL, fig. 4., PI. XXIVa., figs. 18, 19, and PI. 

 XXXVI lA., fig. 2. 



A species of considerable size, probably reaching 130 mm. or 

 more in length, and having a diameter of 5 mm. 



The cephalic segment is enlarged, suddenly narrowed into a 

 blunt ridge dorsally and running downward to the thickened 

 oral border. On the ventral face the oral margin projects as 

 a frilled ring, more or less dilated according to its condition. 



Though on a comparatively gigantic scale in contrast with 

 the British forms it is remarkable how closely the outline of the 

 snout, its touches of reddish pigment, the form of the anterior 

 segments, and the general conformation of bristles and hooks 

 correspond. 



The first four sets of bristles are stout, simple, tapering, 

 slightly winged forms, the fourth having also a few very 

 slender, almost capillary bristles. The fifth group has a few 

 slender forms amongst the stronger with very minute spikes, 

 and in the sixth and seventh these increase in distinctness till the 

 condition shown in the figure of the "Challenger" is attained. 

 Beneath each of the first three is a powerful spme, or occasion- 

 ally two in the last. Under the fourth is a short row of the 

 hooks characteristic of the species, and in the succeeding feet 

 these increase considerably in number so that the rows are 

 longer. 



In comparing the loth bristles and hooks of the British and 

 South African forms little distinction is apparent except in size. 

 The types are the same. It is true a larger number of spikes 

 occur on the crowns of the hooks of the South African form, 

 but this is due to their size. 



The funnel (Plate VI., fig. 32) in the South African has from 

 14 to 30 papilla' round its border, whereas in the small British 

 examples the number ranges from 14 to 20. 



In a South African example there were 20 bristled segments, 

 the entire animal being about 180 mm. in length. The smaller 

 British examples appear to have the same number of segments 

 hough none were complete. 



