Polychacta. 273 



If the long slender setae are gathered into a bunch it is almost, 

 if not quite, impossible to determine their composite nature, but when 

 spread out there is seen to be a very long appendix jointed to a still 

 longer shaft (PI. XLTV., fig. 8). 



Numerous examples, male and female, were obtained at Cape 

 Adare " on the surface along the beach," during latter end of April 

 and beginning of May, 1899 ; temperature 28-6° Fahr. ; " very 

 plentiful for a few days but afterwards not seen again." 



The downwardly directed lens of the specimen figured by 

 Mcintosh {piJ. cit. PI. XXVIII., fig. 4) is evidently due to unnatural 

 shrinkage. It is stated in a footnote that the Alciopidae of the 

 ' Challciujcr ' collection were in an indifferent condition, but it is true 

 that the lens has a downward inclination. 



The achaetous segment which I have described between the 

 third pair of tentacular cirri and the first pair of receptacvila seminis 

 (or the corresponding segment in the $ ) is represented in the figure 

 quoted above, but is not referred to in the text ; also the setae in 

 the minute paraf^jodia of the receptaculiferous segments were not 

 observed by Prof. Mcintosh. These setae are shorter and finer than 

 the rest and might easily be overlooked, even if they were not lost 

 from the specimen. 



One of the ' Southern Cross ' specimens had the proboscis exserted ; 

 it is seen to be surmounted by a crown of twelve soft conical papillae 

 of which four are dorsal, six ventral and two lateral, the last being 

 larger than the rest (PI. XLVL, fig. 2). The skin of the dorsal surface 

 is loose, and below it occurs an infusion of blood rendering it probable 

 that the proboscis is protruded by fluid pressure as with Fliyllodoce, 

 according to Ehlers. 



Grube appears to have based his description of V. grecffi.ana on a 

 male specimen which was re-examined and figured by Dr. Apstein 

 {Arch. Ncdimj. Bd. 59 (1), 1893, p. 145), who, more recently (1900), 

 has declared it synonymous with V. formosa, Claparede. Apstein's 

 earlier figures of V. (jrccjjiana do not quite agree with his later figures 

 of V. formosa in regard to the number of anterior achaetous segments 

 in the male, and, in the absence of the female, it is difficult to say 

 why V. f/rcejiana should be regarded as co-specific with V. formosa 

 rather than with V. antarctica. Apstein [op. cit. 1893) gives the 

 information that the precise locality in which V. (fvccffiana was taken 

 was Long. 67° 30' E., Lat. 35° 20' S. 



T 



