50 



Straus-Dürckheim, H., Considérations générales sur l'anatomie comparée des 

 animaux articulés. Paris 1828. p. 161 . 



Verhoeff, K. W., Beiträge zur vergleichenden Morphologie des Thorax der In- 

 sekten. Nova Acta LXXXI. 2. 1902. S. 65—109. 



. Über Tracheaten-Beine. III. Progoneata. Verh. Ges. Nat. Freunde. Berlin. 



1903. S. 82—103. 

 — . Über Tracheaten-Beine. IV. Chilopodenbeine und Muskelgesetze. V. Über In- 

 sektenbeine mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der Tarsuskleinheit. Nova 

 Acta 1903. LXXXI. 4. S. 211—249. 



2. Nectonemertes japonica, a new Nemertean. 



By Eleanor A. Foshay. 



With 3 ligures.) 



eingeg. 5. Mai 1912. 



In 1906 Dr. Harold Heath secured from Mr. Alan Owston in 

 Yokohama, Japan, six specimens of a new species of the peculiar ne- 

 mertean genus Nectomertes. Two of these are badly mutilated, but the 

 others, originally preserved in formaldehyde, are in a good state of 

 preservation, and furthermore are so constant in their plan of organi- 

 sation, and at the same time so distinctly different from other known 

 species that a brief description is given in the following paragraphs. 

 The only other species taken in the Pacific is N. pelagica, off the coast 

 of California, and while it bears a superficial resemblance to the species 

 under consideration there are several marked differences that serve to 

 distinguish them. 



From the data supplied by several authors it would appear that 

 the members of this genus are free swimming though nothing accurate 

 is known concerning the depth at which they occur. Verrill 1 especially 

 has called attention to the fish-like shape of the body that appears to 

 be an adaption to a pelagic existence; Joubin 2 speaks of one captured 

 in a vertical net; and the one described by Cravens and Heath :i 

 gives evidence of living between intermediate depths and the surface. 

 The species under consideration was taken in the vicinity of Misaki, 

 Japan, but no depth is recorded, and accordingly we are left in ignor- 

 ance concerning their mode of capture and their habitat. It is inter- 

 esting to note however that they were associated with several hydro- 

 medusae and pteropods, and consequently appear to have been captured 

 with some close mesh net and not with a dredge, but such indications 

 are a slender reed to rest upon in deciding whether the species is truly 

 pelagic. 



1 The Marine Invertebrates of New England. Trans. Conn. Acad. Vol. 8. 1892. 



2 Note sur une nouvelle Némerte pélagique Nectonemertes grimaldi). Bull. 

 Mus. océanograph. Monaco. No. 20. 1904. 



3 A new species of Xectonemcrtcs. Zool. -Jahrb. Abt. f. Anat. u. Ontog. Bd. 23. 

 1906. 



