168 



NEPHTHYACE^. 



Nereis (Nephthys) lineata, Dalyell, Potv. Great, il 146. pi. 21. f. 4-10. 

 White-worm, Lurg or Lurgan, Drummond in Loud. Mag. N. H. ii. 121 . 

 The white Rag-worm, Prov. 

 Hab. The littoral region, commou. 



Besc. Body from 6 to 10 inches long, tapered slightly towards the 



No. XXXIV. — Nephthys ccsca. 



a. Worm of the natural size. 



b. The proboscis extended, of the natural size. 



c. The same opened. 



d. A foot viewed laterally, magnified. 



anterior, and more so towards the posterior extre- 

 mity, flattish, Y^oths of an inch in breadth, of a 

 beautiful pearly lustre and colour all over, smooth, 

 without spots or stains. The feet yellowish ; ven- 

 tral surface flat, perlaceous, with a purplish furrow 

 down the centre. Head distinct, square, truncate 

 in front, where there is a very short, apparently 

 unjointed antenna on each outer angle, and a 

 similar pair beneath. Mouth inferior, evolving a 

 very large proboscis, sometimes of a pink colour, 

 greyish in others, rough, with miliary granules, 

 and its edge crested with numerous short papil- 

 lary tentacula arranged in longitudinal series : it 

 contains a cartilaginous tube formed of eight 

 equal pieces, which is closed with two semicircular 

 lips or valves continuous with the outer sheath, 

 and fringed with a double series of longish ten- 

 tacula ; and, within this inner proboscis, there 

 is a pair of small pointed horny brown jaws. 

 Segments narrow, convex dorsally, the lines of 

 separation indistinct in the centre, but strongly 

 marked along the sides; about 140 in number (in two specimens 

 of average size 143 were counted), the anterior streaked with pale 



