APHRODITA. 169 
boscis is armed with four black fangs. These parts were exposed on the 
death of a small specimen, not above eight lines long, with a black stripe 
down the middle of dingy scales. 
This species devours other Aphrodite. 
Piate XXIV. 
Fic. 11. Aphrodita varians, extending sixteen lines, with brown and blackish 
scales. 
12. Specimen with red and yellow scales. 
§ 4. Apnropira vELox.—Plate XXIV. Fig. 13. 
At first sight I was so much impressed by the great difference between 
the aspect of this minute animal from all the other Aphrodite occurring 
to me, that I felt disposed to name it provisionally Aphrodita velow. 
Nevertheless it may be possibly only an early stage of the A. sguamata, 
cirrosa, or some one sufficiently known. Iam very far, therefore, from 
pronouncing it a distinct species. 
Much of the appearance and habits of this section of the Aphrodita, 
perhaps, depend on age. The activity of the small specimen under re- 
view, scarcely half an inch long, was extraordinary, and from the transpa- 
rence, its whole structure was well exposed by the microscope. It swam 
swiftly and frequently through the water, whence I was disposed to con- 
sider it the young of the Aphrodita cirrosa. If so, it affords a favourable 
illustration of the evolution of additional parts. 
Length four or five lines ; breadth a line. Four distinct black eyes. 
About twenty pencils issue from each side, together with eight or ten 
acicule, extending much beyond them, from each sidealso. At first I be- 
lieved the animal totally divested of scales, and that it was a mere skeleton, 
but I afterwards observed a double row of about ten vascular scales in each, 
covering the back, the sheaths and their pencils being almost invisible 
from extreme transparence, while the more solid organs seemed predo- 
minant from shining through them. There seemed to be an aperture in 
each scale. 
Y 
