7'2 Mr. Montagu's Description of Marine Animals 



pair not half so long as the other : legs fourteen ; feet of the fore- 

 most six broad, serrated on the inside ; all armed with a single claw. 

 Length, an inch ; breadth, not quite a quarter. Colour, pale 

 yellow clouded with cinereous on the sides. 



GoRDIUS MARINUS. 



Sea long worn. Borlase Cornw. p. 255. t.Q6.f. 13. 



This extraordinary vermis, originally described by Borlase a3 

 inhabiting Mounts Bay in Cornwall, we do not find mentioned 

 by any other author : and as this topographical writer is very 

 concise with respect to its description and history, our further 

 observations upon it may not be unacceptable to the Society, and 

 to naturalists in general. 



This species of Gordius is not uncommon on several parts of the 

 south coast of Devonshire, where it is by some of the fishermen 

 known by the very applicable name given to it in the IIisto?-y of 

 Cornwall: It is, indeed, of so prodigious a length that it is im- 

 possible to fix any bounds; some of the fishermen say thirty 

 yards, — but perhaps as many feet is the utmost: those specimens 

 which have come under our inspection did not appear to exceed 

 twenty feet, and more commonly from eight to fourteen or fifteen. 



Its usual appearance is filiform, except towards the posterior 

 extremity, where it somewhat decreases in size ; it is, however, 

 like most of the soft animals, considerably amorphous : the skin 

 is perfectly smooth, and covered with a strong tenacious slime : 

 the head, or anterior end, is usually more depressed, and broader 

 than any other part ; but all parts are equally alterable, and in 

 continual change from round to flat, rising into large swellings or 

 protuberances in various parts, especially where touched : the front 

 is sometimes obtusely pointed, but more commonly spread into 



small 



