74 



THE OREGON NATURALIST. 



Frequently three or four would be attached to 

 each other. A very good idea of their appear- 

 ance can be obtained from the cut. 



SKRPULA DIANTHUS. 



The round crooked tubes of the Serpula were 

 found on the old mussel shells and sometimes 

 on the spile itself. When disturbed the worm 

 with-draws into its tube and closes the end 

 with a little plug called the operculum. When 

 fully displayed the branchia; are very beautiful. 

 They are in a round cluster parted into equal 

 halves with about eighteen delicate filaments on 

 each side. The colors vary remarkably but 

 are always brilliant. The usual color is pur- 

 plish at the base with narrow hands of light red 

 or yellowish green. In other varieties they are 

 all citron yellow or whitish banded with brown. 



NEREIS PELAGICA. 



BALANUS BALANOIDES. 



The common acorn barnacle can be seen on 

 almost any spile or rock on the sea shore. 

 When the tide goes down their shells appear 

 as a band of white. 



LIEINIA DUBIA. 



Of this crab I found only two or three speci- 

 mens. Those were taken from a mass of 

 hydroid and were themselves covered all over 

 wiih hydroid or algae. I preserved no speci- 

 men and so am not able to furnish a drawing, 

 but I do not think that this species can be 

 mistaken for any other. If I remember cor- 

 rectly it was about two inches long. 



PINNOTHERES MACULATUS. 



This worm was found in the masses of 

 hydroid. It varied from an inch and a half to 

 over four inches in length. It is light 1 rown 

 in color. I think that this was the commonest 

 of all the worms which I met with and it was 

 certainly the easiest to obtain. 



LEPIDONOTUS SUBLEVIS. 



This is another of the worms and was found 

 in the same places and in company with 

 Nereis pelagica. It is a smaller worm, (the 

 largest I saw did not measure much over an 

 inch) and is broader. The color is about the 

 same as that of the preceding species. 



Many stOiies are told about these little crabs 

 acting as guardians of the shells which they m- 

 habit but science has shown that all these tales 

 ars false and that they seek these homes merely 

 for protection and convenience in obtaining food. 

 They live on the nutritive matter in the currents 

 of water caused by the cilia on the gills and 

 mantle of the mollusca. There are two species; 

 P. maculatus inhabits the mussel and P. ostreum 

 the oyster. 



Several species of hydroid are found on the 

 spiles but I am not familiar enough with them 

 to describe them. Tiiere are also other tuni- 

 cates, several species of small shells and probaly 

 many more species of various orders which 1 

 did not happen to find. And now ii! closing I 

 wishtosay that although there is plenty ol hard 

 work, still there is a great deal of enjoyment to 

 be derived from this kind of marine collecting. 

 F. P. Drowne. 



