Polychcetous Annelids from Florida, Porto Rico, Bermuda, etc. 259 



Lepidasthenia varius n. sp. 



Body variable in number of somites and length; one entire individual of 

 50 somites measured 30 mm., while an incomplete specimen contained 80 

 somites and measured 48 mm. Greatest width of larger specimen 3 mm. 



The head (plate 1, fig. 11) with sides smoothly rounded laterally and taper- 

 ing gently to the bases of the tentacles. The posterior margin is deeply in- 

 cised and a faint groove is carried over the dorsal surface to the base of the 

 median tentacle. The greatest width is behind the middle, and this is about 

 equal to the length. There are apparently 2 pairs of eyes, the anterior larger 

 and situated on the antero-lateral surface, the posterior near the posterior 

 margin of the head. Neither eye showed any pigment, their position being 

 indicated by an elevated patch of whitish epithelium. 



The tentacles are carried on prominent basal joints, the median one being 

 larger than either of the others. The median and one lateral were absent in 

 both specimens. The remaining lateral was about 2\ times as long as the 

 head, quite uniform in diameter except for a subterminal swelling and acute 

 apex. Tentacular cirri similar in form to the tentacles, but larger and with 

 traces of pigmentation near their ends. The palps are much longer than the 

 cirri, tapering very gradually until near the end, then abruptly narrowing to 

 an acute apex. With high power a few very small papillae can be seen near the 

 apex. The ventral cirrus of the second somite (first setigerous) and the dor- 

 sal cirri of the next somite much like the tentacles in form, but shorter and 

 with less evident subterminal swellings. Later dorsal cirri are successively 

 smaller and throughout the greater part of the body are conical, with acute 

 tip. Of the ventral cirri, all but the first pair are small and conical; the anal 

 cirri are much like the dorsal in form. 



Elytra are carried on somites 2, 4, 5, etc., to 23, 27, and behind this two 

 somites are regularly interposed between each pair of elytron-bearing somites. 

 The first pair covers the head, while succeeding ones are smaller (c/. fig. 12, 

 plate 1, of the first, with fig. 13, plate 1, of the eighth) and because of their 

 small size and transparency they are easily overlooked and may seem to be 

 absent. Toward the posterior end they are larger and cover more of the body, 

 the terminal somites being entirely covered. They are all transparent, but 

 behind the middle of the body each carries a patch of pigment, surrounding 

 the point of attachment of the elytrophore and extending to the inner margin 

 of the elytron. There is a very distinct line between this pigment and the 

 point of attachment, giving the body in this region an ocellated appearance. 

 The elytra all have smooth margins and are oval or round in outline. 



The first parapodium (plate 1, fig. 12) cylindrical, very slightly expanded 

 at apex, with presetal and postsetal lobes, the latter much the larger and 

 curved upward at end. Between the two is a single row of stout setse, their 

 apices extending for only a short distance beyond the postsetal lobe. There 

 is no indication of dorsal setae, but two aciculse extend, one into the dorsal 

 part of the parapodium and one into the ventral. 



The elytrophore is expanded at the apex, carrying the large rounded, nearly 

 oval, elytron. The ventral cirrus is on a prominent cirrophore and is nearly 

 3 times as long as the parapodium, abruptly narrowing toward the end to 

 form a slender acute tip. 



The second parapodium is very similar to the first in appearance and arrange- 

 ment of setae (plate 1, fig. 14), with a dorsal cirrus resembling the ventral 

 cirrus of the first parapodium. The ventral cirrus has a terminal joint in the 

 forrn of a narrow cone, about as long as the parapodium. The fifteenth para- 

 podium (plate 1, fig. 13) with very small achaetous notopodium and a neuro- 

 podium much like those of earlier somites, but with a very small elytron. The 



