ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICEOSCOPY, ETC. 169 



Vermilia and Pomatoceros.* — K. J. Bush points out that no little 

 confusion has arisen in regard to the relation of two genera of tubicolous 

 Annelids, viz. Vermilia Lamarck, ISIH, and Pomatoceros PhiUppi, 1844. 

 The genus Vermilia has become a kind of dumping ground for ill-defined, 

 little understood, often unfigured forms, even sometimes for empty tubes. 

 Bush proposes to clear the matter up by defining the following genera :. 

 Vermiliopsis Saint Joseph, type Vermilia infundibulum Philippi ; Meta- 

 rermilia Bush, type Vermilia miilticristata Philippi ; FaravermiUa Bush, 

 type P. hermudensis ; Pseudovermilia g. n., type Sj)irohranclms Deci- 

 de ataUs M'Intosh. 



Paravermilia and Pseudovermilia.t — K. J. Bush gives an account 

 of these two genera of tubicolous Annelids, which he has estabhshed to 

 receive some new species from the Bermudas, and some forms previously 

 described under the genera Spiroiranchus and Vermilia. 



Nephridia of Dinophilus.J — Cresswell Shearer has examined these. 

 They are of the primitive solenocyte-bearing type common in Annelids. 

 The solenocytes are typical, their canals are definitely closed, and do not 

 open into the primary body-cavity. The nephridia are not ciliated, but 

 the flagella of the solenocytes beating down the length of the canals 

 give them the appearance of being so. The presence of solenocytes in 

 Dinophilus is of some morphological significance on account of the 

 relationship this worm shows with the Turbellaria. On the other hand, 

 in the absence of our knowledge of their existence in lower forms, it may 

 be held to indicate close affinity of Dinophilus with the more highly 

 developed Annelids, and especially the Polychsets. 



Swiss Olig^ochseta. § — E. Piguet gives a faunistic account of 

 ^olosomatidaj, Xaididfe, Tubificida?, Lumbriculidas, and Haplotasidfe 

 found by him in Switzerland, and describes an interesting new species, 

 Rhyacoclrilus lemani, from a depth of 120 metres in the Lake of Geneva. 



Pelagosphsera and Sipunculus Larvae. || — J. AV. Spengel refers to 

 a paper by the late Pio Mingazzini on Pelagosphcera aloysii g. et sp. n., a 

 reputed pelagic Gephyrean. But Mingazzini's figures show that this 

 supposed new form is the larva of a Sipunculus, closely resembling a 

 large Mediterranean larva (probably of 8. tesselatus), and with great 

 probability referable to iS'. discrepans. What Mingazzini took for an 

 ovary is a typical organ (of unknown function) in Sipunculus larvae. 



Tumour in a Sipunculid.lf — Marcel A. Herubel directs attention to 

 the occurrence of a tumour in a female of Sipunculus nudus. It was a 

 muscular tumour, probably of parasitic origin, and containing many 

 phagocytes. The muscle-fibres enveloped by the phagocytes were in 

 process of being directly attacked by them ; those not in contact with 

 phagocytes were being disrupted and dissolved ; those still more distant 



* Amer. Journ. Sci., xxiii. (1907) pp. 52-8. f Tom. cit., pp. 131-6. 



X Quart. Journ. Micr Sci., 1. (1906) pp. 517-45 (2 pis.). 

 § Eev. Suisse Zool., xiv. (1906) pp. 389-403 (1 fig.). 

 II Zool. Anzeig., xxxi. (1907) pp. 97-9. 

 f Comptes Rendus, cxliii. (1906) pp. 979-81. 



