POLYCH^TA. 



By W. B. Benham, M.A. (Oxon.), D.Sc. (Lond.), F.R.S., F.N.Z.Inst., Professor of 

 Biology, Uixiversity of Otago, New Zealand. 



With Six Plates and a Map. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The Polyclia?t fauna of the Antarctic and Sub-antarctic regions is perliaps as well known 

 as that of any other region, with the exception, it may be, of that of the North Sea and 

 Mediterranean, which has been studied intensively by numerous zoologists for nearly 

 a century. 



In defining the extent of the Antarctic region I follow Ehlers, who includes not 

 only the shores of the land-mass, but those islands which lie to the south of the outer- 

 most limit of the drifting sea-ice; thiis the islands of South Georgia and Bouvet are 

 included, while the Falkland, Crozet and Kerguelen Islands Ijelong to the Sub-antarctic 

 region. 



The various expeditions to these high southern latitudes have brought back a 

 considerable number of worms, many of which, indeed the majority, are confined to 

 these two regions. 



During the voyages of the " Eugenie" (1851-1853), of the " Challenger" (1873- 

 1876), of the "Gazelle" (1876), and of the "Valdivia" (1898-1899) more or less 

 extensive areas of the oceans were explored, but the Sub-antarctic region was visited 

 only incidentally. To Kinberg we owe the foundation of om* knowledge of the worms 

 of this Notial region since the " Eugenie" visited Kerguelen and the Magellan Strait 

 during its voyage. Other species were added by Grube in his report, while the accounts 

 of Mcintosh and Ehlers not only extended our knowledge of this region, but for the 

 first time contain descriptions of worms from the Antarctic Seas; and these ships 

 had been able to explore them to greater depths than had been possible previously. 



Later expeditions, on the other hand, visited the edge of the Antarctic land-mass 

 with the express purpose of studying the scientific problems presented by that region 

 and these expeditions remained there for many months, so that the naturalists were 

 afforded opportunities of making extensive collections of the marine animals living in 

 the ice-covered sea. 



