19t) THE FAUNA OF THE SALCOMBE ESTUARY. 



The main portion of the tube or burrow in which the worm lives 

 is lined by a moderately hard, claylike substance of a brownish yellow 

 colour, which seems to be formed by the action upon the mud of the 

 mucus secreted by the animal. There is here no sign of a definitely 

 built tube, such as that constructed, for instance, by Lanice, excepting 

 at the external opening, which projected above the surface of the mud. 

 The burrows were very frequently inhabited by the Polynoid Gattyana 

 cirrosa. 



AmphItrite Edwardsi, Quatrcfages, resembles A. Johnstoni very 

 closely in appearance and habit, but can be readily distinguished by 

 the fact that it possesses only 17 setigerous segments in the thorax 

 instead of 24. In the Salcombe estuary it was found only in the zostera 

 banks near the mouth of Salcombe Harbour, and was met with in 

 some numbers on the western side (under Marine Hotel), On the 

 eastern side one specimen only was taken. In the former situation 

 (zostera bank under Marine Hotel) both A. Johnstoni and A. Edivardsi 

 live in close proximity ; but it was noted by Mr. Hodgson, who recently 

 paid special attention, at my request, to the exact situations in which 

 specimens of these two species could be found, that whilst A. Johnstoni 

 was more common at extreme low- water mark, A. Ediuardsi was most 

 frequent higher up on the zostera bank. The areas of distribution of 

 the two species overlapped to some extent, and where this occurred 

 specimens of both might be turned up in one spadeful of muddy sand. 



It has already been noted that A. Edwardsi was never found in the 

 Kingsbridge estuary, in which respect its distribution again differs from 

 that of A. Johnstoni, for this species was especially common on the 

 Salstone. 



The burrow of A. Ediuardsi is very similar to that of A. Johnstoni. 

 Although no projecting ends to the tubes were noted, it is quite possible 

 that they may sometimes be made. They were by no means always 

 found in the case of A. Johnstoni. 



The handsome Polynoid Lepidasthenia arr/us, which is described 

 by Mr. Hodgson for the first time in this number of the Journal (see 

 p. 250), was found living in the burrows of A. Edwardsi. 



Lanice conchilega {Pallas). Extremely abundant in patches of 

 clean sand near the mouth of Salcombe Harbour on both sides, as 

 well as in the sand of the bays outside the harbour, especially in the 

 more sheltered parts of them. One or two specimens only were found 

 at the north-eastern end of the harbour, and one or two in the Kings- 

 bridge estuary (under limekiln). Evidently clean sand without much 

 admixture of mud is necessary for this species to flourish. 



Small specimens were obtained in dredge material from Salcombe 

 Harbour. 



