Sei'piila inhuldriai, 127 



on our coasts, and has been usually considered among the 

 rarest. The shell is from four to five inches long, and some- 

 times more, but the animal tenant does not exceed three. The 

 body of this is vermiform, flattish, distinctly annulated, of a 

 reddish-orange colour, stained v^^ith irregular blotches, from 

 the opacity of the viscera and their contents. The anterior 

 extremity is obtusely truncate, and on it are placed two large 

 fan-shaped bundles of filaments of a yellowish colour, beauti- 

 fully marked with scarlet spots. The filaments in each bundle 

 are numerous, and are united at the base into a fleshy stalk, 

 which again is directly connected with the head, on which 

 also some scarlet spots are distributed. Each filament is 

 simple, but pectinated along the internal edge with a close 

 series of short blunt processes, which are not visible without 

 the aid of the magnifier. The anterior third of the body is 

 covered with a thin brown membrane, divided on the ventral 

 aspect, where the margins are free and somewhat undulated ; 

 they are also furnished on each side with seven little brushes of 

 bristles, which appear to be partly retractile. These brushes 

 are placed at equal distances ; the anterior, perhaps, a little 

 closer; and at the side of each there is a scarlet bar or spot ; the 

 bristles in each are very slender, numerous, yellowish, smooth, 

 and acutely pointed. The remaining portion of the body is 

 divided into very numerous short rings, on the sides of each 

 of which there is a thickened puckered spot, something like a 

 beginning tubercle ; it is grooved along the back, and tapers 

 to a rather obtuse end, where it is sparingly clothed with 

 some delicate hairs. The ventral surface is convex, smooth, 

 and flesh-coloured ; and the anus is terminal, there lying 

 underneath it a long white spot, produced, perhaps, by some 

 dilatation of the intestine. 



The shell, as we have said, is from four to five inches long, 

 and as thick as a goose-quill. It is cylindrical, gradually 

 tapered at the posterior end, where it becomes more or less 

 flexuose, and where it is affixed to the foreign body whence 

 it takes its origin. The attachment in our specimen was 

 broken off. The colour is opaque white, and the smooth sur- 

 face is partially covered with corallines and smaller Serpulae. 

 The margin of the aperture is circular, smooth, and even ; 

 the other extremity is closed. 



I kept the individual here figured for several days by me, 

 to observe its motions. The worm would sometimes remain 

 for hours concealed in the shell : and, when it ventured to 

 peep out, the branchial tufts were sometimes slowly and cau- 

 tiously protruded, and sometimes forced out at once to their 

 full extent. After their extrusion they were separated and ex- 

 panded, as in the figure, and lay at perfect rest on the bottom 



