Annelida of the Benniidas. 669 



ish terminal portion, to which the rather stout, abruptly tapered 

 cirrus is attached ; this reaches a little further than the paleae and 

 often shows a dark color-patch near its inner end ; the surface of 

 both is distinctly microscopically granular. At the base and in front 

 of this swollen portion, the setae, about 10 in number, arise; they are 

 of one kind, being similar in form to the palese, but narrower and 

 more regularly tapered, and often have a conspicuous triangular 

 process attached near their bases for their entire width. 



The ventral ramus is less rounded and broader, and bears numer- 

 ous, line, jointed setae of one form, their terminal portions being 

 rather long and narrow, but little tapered, finely serrulate along their 

 inner edge, with curved bifid tips, the shafts conspicuously pointed 

 and longitudinally ribbed. The ventral cirrus is of moderate length, 

 abruptly tapered. 



On the back of the head there are three pairs of subequal black 

 spots, apparently ocelli ; those of the first and third are well-sepa- 

 rated ; those of the second paii', which is midway between these, are 

 close together, nearly touching each other. On the perfect example 

 the paleje do not meet in the center so that they are readily seen 

 on the first eight segments. 



Only two other related species have been described from these 

 waters : — Palmyra elongata Grube, 1856, and Bhawania Goodei 

 Webster, 1884 ; the latter was also found by Professor Verrill at 

 Bermuda. 



GEPHYR^A. 



Four or five species of Gephyraea were obtained with large numbers 

 of interesting annelids, by breaking up masses of dead, or partly 

 dead, massive corals from the reefs. Several large and beautiful 

 species of Leodice, Marphysa, Nicidion, and Paramarphysa were 

 secured in this manner. 



The commonest gephyrgean in corals is Physcosoma varians (= 

 Phascolosoma varians Kef.). It is 1.5 to 2 inches long, clavate 

 posteriorly, and thickly covered dorsally with black or brownish 

 black specks and transverse patches, especially on the anterior part, 

 where the blackish color is usually crossed by pale bands of varying 

 breadth ; ground-color pale salmon. Posterior region closely covered 

 with large, conical, brown grains or papillae, becoming longer near 

 the tip. The grains are lower with rounded tops on the mid-dorsal 

 region ; smaller and fewer beneath ; near the base of the proboscis 

 they become conical and crowded. The distal part of the proboscis 

 is surrounded by about 20-30 close rows of minute, black, curved, 



