124 Prof. M'Intosh's Notes from the 



light transverse bands 'o'liich are not present in the former, 

 and the paragnathi of groups I. and VI. In A^. jtelayica the 

 lobes of the feet are evenly rounded, whilst in iV. zonata 

 they are triangular and run out to a broad point. Ditlevsen *, 

 who has recently written on the subject, further notes that in 

 N. felagica the short terminal processes of the bristles are 

 shorter and more curved than in N. zonata. The author 

 disagrees with Michaelsen's view that Heleronereis arctica of 

 CErsted is the female epitokous form of N. zonata, and 

 therefore thinks that the title N. zonata should stand. 

 JNIoreover, whilst iV.joe^a^ica is generally a littoral species, 

 N. zonata is procured by the dredge. 



5. On the British Capitellidae (Halelminthidse). 



No notice of these occurs under the " Annelides '^ of 

 Dr. Johnston's ' Catalogue of Worms in the British Museum/ 

 but, following ClitelHo in the Order Scoloces, under the 

 littoral family of the Tribe Lumbricina, is a species termed 

 Valla ciliata, which refers to Cajritella capitata, and, indeed, 

 the author in a footnote states that De Quatrefages would 

 place the genus probably amongst the Ariciidas in the errant 

 Annelids. In this arrangement Dr. Johnston probably 

 followed Grube in his ' Familien der Anneliden' Q851). 

 De Quatrefages, again (1865), placed the Capitellida; 

 between the Maldanidse (his Clymeniens) and the Areni- 

 colidse — as a group of uncertain position ; his three chief 

 genera being Co2}itella, Notomasfus, and Dasybranchus. 

 Without going further into detail, the monumental work 

 of Dr. Hugo Eisig, published in 1887, cleared up all 

 ambiguities, and placed the group on a satisfactory basis in 

 respect to structure, physiology, systematic position, and 

 distribution. In text as well as in plates the high standard 

 of this treatise is an honour to the Zoological Station of 

 Naples and to the author. 



Only three species of this family — viz., Notomastus lateri- 

 ceus, Sars, Capifella caintata, Fabr.^ and Dasyhranchus — occur 

 in Britain. The former [Notomastus latericevs) is widely 

 distributed from Shetland to the Ciiannel Islands, whilst 

 abroad it is almost cosmopolitan. Its bright red colour 

 makes it a conspicuous feature on the \^'est Sands at 

 St. Andrews after storms, and it is by no means a minute 

 form, for it ranges from 6-10 inches in length. The 

 head consists of two rings and is conical and sharp-pointed, 



* ' Danuiaili-Eksped. Giunlauds,' 1906-8, T3d. v. p. 419. pi. xxviii. fig. 6, 

 pi. XXX. figs. 18 & '2-2 (1912). 



