NOTES ON SOME OF THE POLYCH^TA. 351 



series, as in P. auricoma. At the same time, Pallas does 

 not distinctly state the condition of the comb in the form 

 he describes. He compares it, however, with Nereis cylin- 

 draria var. capensis, and says: '' Maxime insignes in eo 

 (capite) sunt palmulse binse (figs. 1,2; 7, 8, 9, a) rotundatse, 

 factae ex paleolis sen aciculis planis, auratis, linearis-acutis, 

 interioribus in qualibet palmula sensim minoribus et angus- 

 tioribus, exterioribus pariter decrescentibus, at latioribus ; 

 omnibus versus dorsum leviter recurvatis. Hse paleolae itae 

 carnoso capiti implantatae sunt, ut imbricatim (instar remigum 

 in ala avis) exteriores interioribus superadcubent." All these 

 characters are equally true of the combs of P, auricoma. 

 Further, Pallas refers to a plate on which both var. capensis 

 and var. helgica are figured ; figs. 1 and 2 are of the 

 former, and there the double comb is quite distinguishable, 

 although not very accurately drawn ; figs. 7, 8 and 9, how- 

 ever, which are referred to at the same place (see quotation), 

 are of var. belgica, and do not shew the binary condition at 

 all, with the exception of fig. 9, which does shew the teeth 

 divided into two series. Dalyell figures {loc. cit.) a form 

 which he calls " Sabella helgica or Amphitrite auricoma,'" 

 and in his drawing two combs (whose existence he mentions 

 in the text) are visible. 



Mcintosh's figure {loc. cit.) of P. helgica shews the two 

 combs with perfect accuracy and distinctness. Either Pallas's 

 draughtsman * has made an error in most of the figures of 

 P. helgica, and failed to represent the comb with sufficient 

 accuracy, hence leading Miiller into error when comparing 

 his form with that of Pallas, or Pallas's figures are correct 

 (although his references in the text are wrong), and his 

 species is distinct from that of Miiller (for the condition of 

 the comb appears to be the only important difi'erence between 

 the two). Looking at the inaccuracy of the drawings as com- 

 * It is to be noted that Pallas did not draw his own plate. 



