THE ANNALS 



AND 



MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY, 



[THIRD SERIES.] 

 No. 36. DECEMBER 1860, 



XLIX. — On the Occurrence of the Fingered Nats (Proto digitata) 

 in England. By the Rev. W. Houghton, M.A., F.L.S. 



To the Editors of the Annals of Natural History. 



Gentlemen, 



Dr. Johnston, in his unpublished ( Catalogue of British An- 

 nelids ' (for the loan of which I have been indebted to the kind- 

 ness of Dr. Gray), expresses a doubt whether the rare and curious 

 worm Proto digitata has been admitted with sufficient evidence 

 into the English fauna. I am able to give satisfactory proof 

 that this Annelid is an undoubted " British possession," having 

 been fortunate enough in July of last year to make some slight 

 acquaintance with this fingered species of the Naidine family. 

 I regret, however, that I did not pay sufficient attention to the 

 study of this worm last summer ; but, from lack of opportunity 

 of consulting the works of Miiller, Grube, &c, and my conse- 

 quent ignorance that my specimens were of any value as far as 

 a new discovery was concerned, and feeling sure that I had only 

 to wait for another summer to be able to find the worms again in 

 the same spot from whence I had originally taken them, I made 

 but a cursory examination of my specimens. Alas ! the summer 

 is gone (if, indeed, we can say that is gone which never came) ! 

 and vain have been my numerous visits in search of Proto 

 digitata. Nor alone in the summer have I sought the worm ; 

 on several occasions both in the winter and spring I have most 

 patiently examined the sand and mud from the water where I 

 had expected to meet with specimens : but my perseverance has 

 been unavailing; I could not renew my acquaintance with digi- 

 tata — not a finger would she extend. As, however, this worm is 

 undoubtedly a rare one, and it may be long ere one " looks upon 

 his like again," I will take the present opportunity of briefly 

 noticing it. 



Ann. tf Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 3. Vol. vi. 26 



