THE AECHIPELAGO OF BREHAT. 113 



body and of tlie feet. As there are about 300 

 rings, it follows that this Annelid must have one brain 

 or chief nervous centre, 300 secondary centres, 

 and 3000 nervous trunks, without counting those of 

 the lips and the proboscis. 



Let us next consider the apparatus destined to 

 accomplish the process of alimentation. At the 

 bottom of this funnel-like mouth, there is a large 

 proboscis furnished with powerful muscles, and 

 armed with eight horny jaws. Take care of your 

 fingers ! these sharp and curved teeth might very 

 easily penetrate through the epidermis, and draw 

 blood. Beyond this tube you will perceive an 

 oesophagus, and furthci on a series of large sacs, each 

 of which corresponds to one of the rings, and is 

 separated from the two contiguous sacs or pouches 

 by a strong constriction. You see that the animal 

 which we are dissecting has not less than 280 

 stomachs. 



Between the muscles and the intestines, on the 

 dorsal surface of the body, you will admire those 

 two sinuous vessels, filled with bright red blood. 

 These two large veins receive the blood which has 

 served for the nutrition of the body, and which 

 therefore requires to be subjected to the action of 

 the air. A venous trunk conveys this blood to the 

 branchiae, beginning at the twenty-fifth ring, where 

 you will see that it forms, on either side of the body, 

 a double series of tufts, which are alternately of an 

 amber or scarlet tint, as the blood enters or flows 

 from them. A second vessel passes from the branchiae, 

 and opens into a large artery, placed on the median 



VOL. I. I 



