Chaetopteriis Variopedatus. 481 



classified as distinct species, but Joyuex-Laffiiie, '90, showed that the 

 nine European species are really a single species. He also suggested 

 that a close study of the six species in foreign seas would yield a 

 similar result. Later, Grseffe, '05, mentions Chcetopterus pergamen- 

 taceus, Andouin et M. Edwards, the name by which the American 

 species has been described by Verrill, E. B. Wilson, and others, as 

 synonymous with Chcetopicrus variopedatus. A careful comparison 

 of the specimens found at Beaufort, with Joyeux-Laffuie's descrip- 

 tion of Ch. variopedatus leads me to regard the species as synonymous. 



The characters are briefly as follows : — Anterior region is composed of 

 eleven segments of which nine are setigerous. Middle region, five segments. 

 Posterior region, segments numerous, but variable to fifty. 



Buccal funnel large, forms the anterior part of the body. Tentacles two, 

 conical, lateral 8-12 mm. Eyes two, just lateral to base of tentacles, brown- 

 ish. Nine setigerous segments are notopodia, conical, lateral and with a 

 thickened plastron between on ventral side; sette lance-shaped, some in fourth 

 setigerous segment black, club-shaped, truncate. Pair of epaulet-like struc- 

 tures at posterior margin is neuropodia, armed with serrate imcinal plates. 



Middle region. — Composed of twelfth and thirteenth segments and three 

 palettes. Twelfth segment bears long aliform notopodia on dorsal side and 

 adhesive disc on ventral. Thirteenth segment, the accessory feeding organ 

 above and adhesive disc on ventral side of second and third. Dark green 

 dilated intestine on dorsal side between twelfth segment and first palette 

 ( f ourteentli segment ) . 



Posterior region. — Segments decrease in size regularly backwards — vari- 

 able from 2, 3 or 4 in young to 500 in old individuals. Each bears a pair of 

 conical notopodia directed dorsalward, a pair of internal lobes and a pair 

 of external lobes on the ventral side of the body. External lobes with cirrus. 

 Anus dorsal. 



Color. — Transparent yellowish-wliite anterior region ; middle dark green 

 about intestine ; posterior, reddish-yellow in females, white in males. 



Tube. — U-shaped, opaque parchment-like, white annulated ends, dirty yellow 

 in horizontal and vertical portions, covered with grains of gray sand. Orifices 

 diameter 1 to 7 mm. Length of the tube 18 mm. to 50 cm. Width of tube 

 1 mm. to 4 cm. Length of worm 1 cm. to 30 cm. 



Habitat — Coi.t.ecting— Mokphology. 



Chwtopterus variopedatus, the peculiar species of sedentary annelid, 

 upon which the following study has been made, is found in several 

 localities in the harbor of Beaufort, North Carolina, where the con- 

 ditions for its existence are afforded by the extensive sand-flats, 



