NERINE, 201 



ish-brown colour, dusky in places from the contents of the intes- 

 tine, and marked with red cross lines from the overlapping branchial 

 filaments. The head is prolonged above the mouth into a sort of 

 triangle, the base being outwards, and each angle prolonged into a 

 short conical point somewhat contractile. There is a black spot on 

 the vertex, and the bases of the tentacula are also stained with black, 

 where the eyes, which are very small, are placed in pairs ; but in 

 several specimens I have not been able to detect these organs. The 

 antennae are rather more than half an inch long. The last ten seg- 

 ments appear to be defective in the branchise, and to have a more 

 developed ventral foot and longer bristles than any of the others. 



Plate XVII. Fig. 1. IVmwe t^wZ^am, of the natural size. 2. The ante- 

 rior portion enlarged. 3. A view of a segment cut transversely. 

 4. The caudal extremity. 5. A branchial filament separate. 6. Another 

 view of a branchia. 7. Bristles much magnified. 8. Oviform bodies. 



2. N. coniocephala, head conical ; antennae originating on the ver- 

 tex behind the eyes. Length 4-8". Plate XVII. figs. 9-13. 



Spio viridis, Johnston in Zool. Joiirn. iii. 486. 



Nerine coniocephala, Johnston in Mag. Zool. 8f Bot. ii. 70. pl.2. f. 9-13. 



Grube, Fam. Annel. 66. 

 Lumbricus cirratulus ?, D. Chiaje, Anim. s. Vert. Nap. iv. 196. tab. 64. 



f. 16. 

 Spio coniocephala, Williams, Rep. cit. 1/0, 214. pi. 2. f. 1. 

 Nereine foliosa?, Sars, Adriat. Havs Faun. 15. 

 Nereis foliata — the Leaf Nereis, Dalyell, Paw. Creat. ii. 155. pi. 20. 



f. 1 1-18. 



Hab. The shore. 



Desc. "Worm from 4 to 8 inches long, as thick when full-grown 

 as the little finger of a boy, flattened dorsally, rounded on the 

 ventral aspect, down the centre of which a blood-vessel runs irom 

 one extremity to the other, of a flesh-red colour anteriorly, but back- 

 wards the colour is usually a dull dirty green, with red lines and 

 dusky blotches. Head conical, pointed like a snout, pale : pro- 

 boscis very short, with a lobed orifice. Eyes four, minute, placed at 

 the base of the antennse in pairs, but apparently often wanting. An- 

 tennse approximate at the base, from half an inch to an inch in length. 

 Segments narrow, numerous ; the filaments of the anterior fringed 

 to the point with a broad membrane, those of the middle free and 

 rather long, but becoming very short on the posterior. Feet much 

 like those of the preceding, but proportionally less developed. Anus 

 stellate. 



This species inhabits our shores at low-water-mark, and is seldom 

 found with the preceding, which loves a station higher up. It is 

 rare that an entire specimen can be got, the animal breaking with 

 ease into several portions, and throvdug off its antennae. 



Obs. A larger species than the preceding, and usually tinged on 



