POLYCH^TA. — BENHAM. 13H 



IV. — Description of the Genera and Species. 



Family NEREIDiE.i 



Genus Nereis, Cuvier. 



Nereis kerguelensis, M'^Intosh. 



Nereis kerguelensis, M'Intosh, Chall. Rep., Zool., xii., 1885, 

 p. 225. Id., Ehlers, Polychaeten, Hamburger magal- 

 haenische Sammelreise, Hamburg, 1897, p. 65 ; Id., 

 Ehlers, Neuseeland. Annelid., 1907, p. 11. Id., 

 Gravier, Deuxieme Antarct. Exped. Francaise, — 

 Annelides Polychetes, 1911, p. 76. 



Three complete individuals, one of which is a female filled 

 with eggs though still in the " nereid " stage. 



The worms are larger than those recorded by Ehlers from 

 South Georgia. The largest is 80 mm. by 5 mm. and 8 mm. 

 over the parapodia, with 78 segments. A second, 65 mm. 

 by 6 mm. and 8 mm. with 75 segments ; the third is 48 mm. 

 by 4 mm. and 6 mm. with 70 segments. There are one or two 

 discrepancies between the figures given by M'Intosh and 

 Ehlers, and certain slight differences between these and my 

 own observations. 



The peristomial cirri, which are relatively long in the 

 " Challenger " figure, are in these specimens short as shown 

 by Ehlers. 



So, too, there are differences in proportion in the tentacles, 

 which M'Intosh shows as narrow and Ehlers as stout and 

 short ; here, too, the present specimens agree with Ehlers'. 



I have in a previous paper dealing with N. australis^ pointed 

 out that in one and the same species there is a great range of 

 variation in the relative length of these cirri which appears to 

 be independent of locality or age or. of methods of preserva- 

 tion. Other features being in accord, these proportions are 

 of less importance. 



Loc. — Ten miles north of Circular Head, Tasmania. 



Distributiofi. — New Zealand ; Kerguelen Island ; South 

 Georgia ; Falkland Islands ; South Shetlands ; and other 

 localities hereabouts. 



1. In accordance with the International Rules of Nomenclature the 

 usual title of this family, Lycoridae, must be replaced by Nereidae. 



2. Benham — Report on Polychaeta, Subantarctic Islands of New Zealand,. 

 1909, p. 23fi. 



