COE : NEMERTEANS OF WEST AND NORTHWEST COASTS. 305 



Intestinal diverticula very numerous, commonly more than 50, 

 with extremely numerous dendritic branches, of varying size and 

 outline. These fill up the greater portion of the space within the 

 body walls, so that but little body parenchyma is present. 



Dorsal hlood vessel extends backward in the ventral wall of i-hyn- 

 chocoel to unite with lateral vessels at posterior end of body. 



Ildbitat. — Six specimens of this interesting form were taken by 

 the Albatross in equatorial regions between 79° and 90° W. Long., 

 where the water varied from 500 to 1800 fms. in depth. This area 

 lies off the coasts of Ecuador and Panama, and near the Galapagos 

 Islands.^ The species is truly pelagic, however, so that the depth 

 of the water probably has no influence in its distribution. A final 

 paper dealing with the anatomical peculiarities of this remarkable 

 form is promised by Dr. Woodworth. 



• Malacobdella Blainville. 



Diet. Sci. Nat., 1827. 



Parasitic nemerteans characterized by short, stout, much flattened 

 bodies of leech-like appearance and movements, and provided with 

 large rounded sucker at posterior end. Mouth and proboscis open 

 close together or into a common atrium at the emarginate anterior 

 end of body. Head not demarcated from body, without lateral 

 grooves. Ocelli and cerebral sense organs wanting. 



Proboscis sheath extends to posterior opening of intestine ; pro- 

 boscis slender, without stylets, but having a specialized bulb which 

 apparently repi-esents the degenerated stylet apparatus. 



Intestine without diverticula, slender, convoluted, longer than 

 body and opening posteriorly at base of sucker. Body parench^'ma 

 very voluminous. 



Parasitic in branchial cavity of various species of marine lamelli- 



1 In a letter dated Nov. 28, 1904, Mr. Alexander Agassiz states (Amer. Journ. 

 Sci., 19, p. 145, Feb., 1905) that "two species of Pelagonemerteans " had just 

 been taken by the surface nets of tlie Albatross between Peru and the Galapagos 

 Islands, in water having a depth of less than 300 fms. It is not stated whether 

 either species is identical with P. dgassizii, previously taken in the vicinity, 

 but the discovery of at least two species of these rare forms in the same locality 

 is of great interest. 



