134 U-S- NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 227 



Proboscis reddish, provided with anterior tooth. Colorless or may 

 have thin transverse brown bands on some segments connecting 

 2 dark spots; eyes dark reddish brown to orange. Male epitokes with 

 capillary setae beginning usually on setiger 9 (9-10), continuing up to 

 last few segments; females with or without swimming setae, with 

 large white yolky eggs beginning in setiger 9, eggs 2 to 4 per segment; 

 eggs and young attached to dorsal body of female on setigers 9-24 or 

 so, 2 to 4 per segment, appearing crowded, compact and nearly 

 covering the dorsum. 



Biology. — Found at low water on mud flats, on stones, shells, 

 mussel beds, among algae including holdfasts of Laminaria, on pilings 

 among sponges, h3Tlroids, tunicates, mussels, algae. Dredged on 

 shelly and gravelly bottoms with bryozoan nodules, tunicates (as 

 seiudy Amaroecium pellucidum) . It is found in salt ponds (Charles- 

 town Pond, Khode Island). In the Woods Hole region, males with 

 swimming setae and females with eggs or embryos on the surface have 

 been found in July to September; they may appear in the surface 

 plankton in the evening. In Ireland, mature males wath swimming 

 setae were found from May to September (Southern, 1914), 



Material examined.- — Gulf of St. Lawrence (St. Lawrence estu- 

 ary), Massachusetts (Woods Hole region, Martha's Vineyard, Cutty- 

 hunk, Sandwich on Cape Cod, Lackey's Bay, Nonamesset Island, 

 Vineyard Sound, low water to 13 fathoms), Rhode Island (Charles- 

 town Pond, bottom tow, H. P. Jeffries), Delaware (Sand Cove, 

 Assanoman Bay), Maryland (Public Landing). 



Distribution. — Ireland, English Channel, France, Madeira, Medi- 

 terranean, South Georgia, Tristan da Cunha, Gulf of St. La^Tence 

 to Maryland, Caribbean Sea, north Japan Sea, Mexico. In low 

 water to 15 fathoms; sexual epitokes at surface. 



Brania wellfleetensis Pettibone, 1956b 



Figure 35h 

 Brania wellfleetensis Pettibone, 1956b, p. 282, fig. 2. 



Description. — Length up to 7 mm., width up to 0.4 mm., segments 

 up to 39. Prostomium with 2 pairs of eyes, anterior pair larger, more 

 lateral, without ocular spots (rarely eyes missing?); palps fused on 

 basal third; distal part may be extended anteriorly and be extremely 

 long or somewhat contracted. Tentacular cirri subequal, similar to 

 median antenna. Parapodia usually with setae all compound except 

 in 6 or so posterior segments where there are simple upper and lower 

 setae; with or without single simple seta in more anterior segments; 

 compound setae with appendages rather short, subequal, with tips 

 entire, hooked (fig. 35h). Anal cirri 3, a shorter median ventral one 

 and a longer lateral pair. Proboscis with an anterior tooth. Color- 



