1885 1 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 425 



cirri much shorter, gradually tapered, small, acute, reaching a little 

 beyond the end of the setigerous lobe. The seise are numerous, in 

 moderately large clusters ; the dorsal fascicles are much smaller than 

 the ventral, with much shorter setae, which are scarcely more than one- 

 fourth as long as the ventral ones on the posterior segments and about 

 a third as long on the anterior ones. The dorsal setae radiate in differ- 

 ent directions, while the ventral setae are in two groups which are only 

 a little divergent. In the preserved specimens the dorsal set® are often 

 angular or have the sides more or less concave toward the tips ; they are 

 crossed by numerous rows of very minute spinules, which do not ex- 

 tend quite to the acute tips. The ventral setae have a slender, smooth 

 shaft, with a somewhat broader, lanceolate, terminal portion, which is 

 closely and sharply spinulated on one side along the broadest part, 

 but naked and a little incurved at the acute tip ; the lowest ones are 

 smaller and have the terminal portion more bent. The diameter of the 

 largest of the dorsal setae is about eqnal to the broadest portion of the 

 ventral setae. The color of the getae is translucent, pale amber. The 

 scales are translucent, pale yellowish white, usually more or less specked 

 or stained with pale orange-brown, and with a somewhat brilliant irides- 

 cence in certain lights. The body in the preserved specimens is yel- 

 lowish white or pale salmon, with the parapodia a little paler ; some- 

 times the median dorsal portion of the segments is tinged with purplish 

 brown. 



Length of the largest specimens, in alcohol, about 75™™ ; greatest 

 breadth, not including setae, 10™™; with setae, 15™™; breadth of head, 

 about 1.5™™. 



This species is very abundant on the Gulf Stream slope, off Martha's 

 Vineyard, in deep water, wherever Acanella Normani is found. It lives 

 among the close branches near the base of this coral, a dozen, or more 

 frequently occurring on a single Acanella. Most of the specimens when 

 obtained had cast off many or all of their scales, and many of them had 

 lost their posterior segments. 



This species is readily distinguished from most of our other species 

 of Polynoe by the very elongated form of the body, composed of an un- 

 usual number of segments, and the large, dark purple proboscis. It 

 resembles, in general appearance, P. spinulosa V., with which it is often 

 associated, more than any other species. 



Stations 894 and 895, in 3G5, 238 fathoms, 1880, abundant. Also from 

 numerous other stations in 146 to 500 fathoms, in later jears. 



Polynoe aurantiaca Verrill, sp. nov. 



Verrill, Trans. CoDn. Acad., vol. iv, pi. 14, figs. 8, 8a, 8&. 



Verrill, Report U. S. Fish Com. for 1883, [p. SS], pi. 40, figs. 173, 173a. 



Body large, stout, broad, tapering somewhat posteriorly, composed 

 of 35 to 37 setigerous segments, covered entirely with 16 to 18 pairs of 

 smooth, thin scales, of which the last two pairs are very small ; the first 

 pair rounded ; the rest broad reniform. Color bright orange-red, when 



