SOLENOGASTRES. 9 



As a consequence. of these facts, to which might be added many others concerning 

 the structure of the digestive tract, nervous system, etc., we must acknowledge that 

 there exist great differences between the various species of Proneomenia, and 

 consequently it would be rational not to class them in one genus. The difference 

 between iceberi and australis, for instance, is greater than that between weheri and 

 Rhopalomenia indica or Dinomenia. The same holds good for Ehojxdomenia itself 

 Tliis genus was created by Simroth on account of the presence of club-shaped 

 epidermal papillae (12, p. 229). It is with good reason that Thiele observes, that 

 the absence of a radula is more typical of Ekopalomenia than the presence of the said 

 papillae (13, p. 272). In this sense the genus RhojMlomenhi was enlarged by me, 

 some years ago, to contain new species (6, p. 22). 



•As to the geographical distribution, nothing confirmative is given. Arctic 

 arc sluiter'i and thulensis ; both forms are most certainly not closely related 

 (14, p. 115). 



Antarctic forms : gerlachei and discoveryi. Between the.se two forms there exist 

 great differences (dimensions, radula, dorsal spicules, buccal gland of gerlachei, 

 structure of the proximal portion of the digestive tract). In dimensions, gerlaclwi 

 resembles duiteri ; for the rest, according to Pelseneer (10, p. 34), these two forms 

 do not correspond in many respects. 



Mediterranean forms: neapolitana, gorgonophila, desiderata, vagans. No doubt 

 neapolitana is a distinct form (Amphimenia of Thiele, 13, p. 244). Vagans, 

 desiderata and gorgonophila agree in the structure of the pharynx and salivary glands 

 (5, pp. 59, 76) ; the index, however, varies from 6 to 25. Yet I am inclined to 

 consider these forms related to each other. Vagans difters importantly from sluiteri, 

 gerlachei and discoveryi, by the structure of the radula ; on the other hand, a relation 

 with tlmlensis is very well possible (radula, salivary glands, abdominal spicules), 

 though in the latter form cloacal spicules are wanting. 



Indo-pacific forms : weheri, longa, amboinensis, australis, valdiviae and hawaiensis. 

 Of these forms haivaiensis is insufficiently known ; only the nervous system has been 

 accurately studied by Heath (1). Weheri and longa, no doubt, are related; 

 amhoinensis, however, must be considered an isolated form, on account of the structure 

 of the radula and the coelomoducts. Australis has a biserial radula, valdiviae a 

 multiserial one (9, pp. 681, 672). 



Atlantic forms : acuminata shows a multiserial radula and two salivary glands, 

 wliich open out separately. Abdominal and cloacal spicules are wanting. 



Recapitulating these facts, we come to the following conclusion. The known 

 species of Proneomenia present great differences ; all of them, however, have a radula, 

 a thick cuticle with many layers of pointed, hollow spicules, numerous epidermal 

 sense-organs, and one or more dorso-terminal sense-organs ; gills are wanting. If no 

 other characteristics were considered, we might keep the genus Proneomenia. In my 

 opinion, however, we have good reason to divide tlie genus into a number of smaller 



vor,. IV. t! 



