182 BULLETIN: MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 



Japan, both bear a superficial resemblance to the above. The 

 relationship of these species is discussed below. 



25. Micrura impressa (Stimpson) Coe. 



Cerebratnlus impressiis Stimpson, Pi'oc. Phil. Acad. Nat. Sci., p. 



160, 1857. 

 Micrura impressa Coe, Proc. Wash. Acad. Sci., 3, p. 3, 1901. 



Stimpson describes this species as being flattened, of a gra3ish 

 brown color above, interrupted by narrow, colorless, transverse 

 lines. Head small, subtruncate, much naiTower than body, flesh 

 color, with brown dots near anterolateral margin. Length of body 

 3.8 inches, width .35 inch. Habitat, Bering Strait. 



The same author describes a somewhat similar s|)ecies {C. heUus 

 z= Micrura hella) from Yezo Island, Japan. This had 10 bluish 

 white, narrow transverse lines across the ashy gray dorsal surface, 

 and a white ventral surface. The liead was short and of a ver- 

 milion color. Both these species should be referred to the genus 

 Micrura as here defined. 



Griftin ('98, p. 214) described a species {Linens striatus) closely 

 similar to the above, Imt also reseml)ling M. verrilli. Griflin's si)eci- 

 mens were lirownish red dorsally, this color being sharply marked 

 off laterally from the much lighter ventral surface. Dorsal surface 

 crossed by numerous creamy white transverse bands, which cease at 

 demarcation line between dorsal and ventral coloring. Tip of head 

 brilliant red. Length probably not over 4 cm. Nephridia have 

 numerous efferent ducts. Puget Sound. 



I do not feel justified in uniting any of these forms with 31. ver- 

 rilli. They are all closely similar so far as can be judged by the 

 brief descri])tions given, and yet no two agree in color or ai-range- 

 ment of markings. Griftin states that his color notes and drawings 

 were lost by shipwi'eck. Further collections in the localities indi- 

 cated will doubtless determine whether a single species presents 

 such marked color varieties, or whether two or more closely similar 

 species occur in this region. I feel the more hesitation in uniting 

 any of these forms with M. verrilli., because the descriptions and 

 drawing of this sjiecies sent me by Mr. Abbott, as well as the 



