APHRODITA. 167 
the light, chiefly quitting its haunts cautiously and timidly at night, as 
if dreading enemies, or in quest of prey. 
However, it is scarcely ever observed to feed ; nor, amidst great 
variety of substances offered, is almost any thing found acceptable. A 
vessel containing a specimen, eight weeks in my possession, being re- 
plenished with sea-water, a portion of mussel was dropped before the 
Aphrodita next morning. Darting out the proboscis it sucked up the 
mussel. Eight or ten days afterwards the like occurred, the proboscis 
having been quickly withdrawn on both occasions. 
The same specimen survived some time longer, and then perished 
from impurity of the water. This is the most common of the genus. 
PLaTe XXIV. 
Fig. 3. Aphrodita squamata, large specimen, one pair of scales, and the ter- 
minal caudal bristles defective. 
. Perfect specimen from Shetland, with twelve pair of scales. 
. Head of a perfect specimen, with two pair of scales adjoining, slightly 
enlarged, 
. Anterior extremity of fig. 4, upper surface, enlarged. 
oo > 
. Posterior extremity of the same, under surface, enlarged. 
. Ordinary specimen, wanting one or two pair of scales. 
. Ova, enlarged. 
10. Proboscis, enlarged. 
© OAH 
§ 3. ApHropira VARIANS.—Plate XXIV. Figs. 10, 11. 
The variable aspect of this animal is extremely embarrassing to the 
general observer. It is sufficient to excite his doubts whether he sees 
before him a distinct species, or whether only successive varieties. I have 
been hitherto unable to detect such uniform and permanent features as 
to pronounce all the specimens, not few in number, as identified by for- 
mation with each other. Externally they are certainly very unlike, but 
it may be only in accidental characters. 
