28 



Tubicolous Marine Worms, 



collection from Labrador, on stones and bryozoa, and was found 

 by Stimpson at Grand Manan. 



Spirorbis porrecta differs from the others in having only a few 

 spiral turns and then boldly standing erect. It is thin, shining? 

 and round in its tube, and from its habit of growth resembles a 

 serpula ; but the animal is that of a spirorbis. Fabricius very 

 clearly describes it as follows. It occupies when contracted only a 

 third part of the length of the shell, is smooth, flattened on the 

 abdomen and attenuated posteriorly. Its stopper is extended on 

 a stem and at its base are six soft, short, white, conical respiratory 

 processes. At the base of these the body is white, plicated, and 

 armed with golden setae or bristles, extending forward. The rest 

 of the body is blood red above, lighter on the sides and below, and 

 its colour can be seen through the semi-transparent shell. This 

 species occurs at Gaspe on Zoophytes, and is recorded by Stimp- 

 son as found at Grand Manan. 



It thus appears that of these curious little spiral worm shells, 

 the precise use of which in nature it would perhaps be difficult 

 to point out, but which no doubt enjoy life after their fashion, 

 and afford food to other animals, we have no less than seven or 

 eight species in the gulf of St. Lawrence. 



Fig. 2. — Serpula (Vermilia) serrula? a nat. size; b anterior part 

 magnified ; c aperture magnified. 



Genus Serpula. 



The true serpulse are neither abundant nor large in the Gulf of 

 St. Lawrence, in so far as my observation extends. The most 

 common species, found both in Labrador and Gasp^, is of small 

 size, about ^%th of an inch in diameter, wrinkled transversely and 

 with a distinct and strongly denticulate keel on the back. It is 

 adherent in its whole length, sometimes much and irregularly 



