Annelida of St. Andrews. 



145 



to each other by a whitish cement. In the placing of these 

 together there is no haphazard, but angle fits angle as 

 in a skilfully built wall, and no profusion of the whitish 

 cement hides slovenly masonry. There is much similarity 

 in the ordinary tubes ; dozens may be examined without 

 observing any noteworthy structural difference. All have 

 the same blending of the white or light-coloured grains 

 with the yellow, the brown, and the black. There is no 

 chance grouping, so as to cause the tube to be out of harmony 

 with its surroundings ; but the whole tone is such that it can 

 with difficulty be distinguished from the sand. Some annelids, 

 again, secrete transparent tubes of the aspect and toughness 

 of crow-quills ; while others cement the mud into caoutchouc- 

 like pipes, fix gravel, stones, and shells by the same means 

 into convenient tunnels, or rely on the parchment-like tenacity 

 of a tube formed solely of one or more layers of their remarkable 

 secretion. The interest in the group is further heightened by 

 the brilliant phosphorescence characteristic of many, and the' 

 powers which others have of perforating sand, limestone, 

 shells, aluminous shale, sandstone, and other rocks. 



The annelids are not devoid of interest even in an economical 

 point of view. All round the coasts of Britain the Arenicola 

 marina (common lobworm) is generally used as bait, and 

 here and there Nephthys and Nereilepas fucata. On the pro- 

 lific shores of the Channel Islands the great abundance of 

 the Nereidse is of considerable importance to the inhabitants, 

 since two of the most plentiful (viz. Nereis 

 cultrifera, Grube, and N. diver sicolor , Miiller) 

 are extensively used in fishing. The fisher- 

 men constantly search for them with a pointed 

 instrument resembling a spear (see annexed 

 woodcut), and keep them in vessels amongst 

 a little sand and seaweed. They are much 

 employed in catching whiting, the latter, again, 

 being used as bait in conger-fishing. In the 

 same islands one of the most esteemed baits 

 is the large Marphysa sanguinea, which reaches 

 the length of two feet. It is termed " varme'' 

 by the fishermen, and is highly prized both 

 for the capture of ordinary white fish and dog- 

 fish. The annelids are kept alive in vessels 

 amongst seaweed — or rather the anterior seg- 

 ments only, no more than three or four inches 

 of this region being retained, since experience 

 has shown that, unless so treated, the animals will break off 

 posterior fragments, which, putrefying, soon cause the death 



Ann. & Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 4. Vol. xiv. 10 



