LAG IS KORENI. li)l 



between tide-mark, as well as when dredging ; but 

 not having previously noticed the animal in its 

 natural position, I was under the belief that it 

 burrowed in the sand or mud, with the small end 

 of the tube downward, and with its head and 

 the wide end of the tube at the surface, 

 ready to secure its passing prey. This view of its 

 habits is supported by the late Dr. Johnstone in his 

 Catalogue of BritisJi Non- Parasitic ]Vor?ns, p. 243, 

 as well as by the following quotation given by him 

 from Pallas : " When at ease, and covered with the 

 water, it protrudes, from the wide aperture of the 

 tube, the head with its four cirri, the comb of bristles, 

 and its many tentacles. The latter are in continual 

 movement and twisting about at will, in search 

 seemingly for fit grains of sand ; and as the grains 

 adhere by a gluten secreted from the surface, they 

 are carried within the reach of other organs, by 

 means of which the worm applies them to the rim 

 of its tube, and thus carries the structure upwards." 

 Last summer, when at Little Cumbrae, my attention 

 was drawn to one of these tubes, the small end of 

 which was projecting about an inch above the surface 

 of the sand between tide-mark. I was surprised to 

 find the tube in this position ; and had only one 

 individual been noticed, it might have been supposed 

 to have got so placed through accident. On further 

 search, however, others were found projecting in the 

 same way, leaving no room for doubt that such was 

 the natural habit of the animal. The small ends of 

 the tubes above the sand were all observed to be 

 much darker in colour than the portion under it, 

 leading to the belief that the worm must spend a 

 considerable part of its time with the small end of 

 the tube above the surface. While we may therefore 

 presume that exposure was the cause of the difference 

 in colour, yet we can scarcely believe that the tube 

 alwa3's remains stationary. During storms, the great 

 quantity of seaweed and other materials thrown up 

 by the waves upon the beach would certainly destroy 



