90 Arenicolidae 



Nereis lumbricoides 



Pallas, Nova Acta Acad. Sci. Imp. Petrop., ii (1788), p. 233, tab. v, figs. 

 19, 19*. 



Orm 



Linnaeus, Skanska Eesa (1751), p. 315 (Helsingborg). 



Vermis ex arena effossus Lug dictus 



Sibbald, Scotia 111., ii (1684), pars 3, p. 34. 



Vermes marini scolopendroides, Cornubiensibus Lugs dicti 

 Ray, Hist. Insect. (1710), p. 46. 



Ver du Havre 



Dicquemare, Obs. sur la Phys., Eozier, xiii (1779), p. 19, pi. ii. 



Caudate Arenicola with nineteen * chaetiferous segments ; thirteen 

 pairs of gills, the first, which is on the seventh segment, may be 

 small or absent; gills either bushy or pinnate; the three lobes of 

 the prostomium are nearly equal in size at any rate, the lateral 

 lobes are seldom much larger than the median one ; neuropodia 

 clearly visible in each segment, in the posterior branchial segments 

 forming long muscular ridges reaching nearly to the mid-ventral 

 line; six pairs of nephridia, which open on the fourth 2 to the ninth 

 segments ; one pair of oesophageal glands, conical or club-shaped ; 

 one pair of small globular, conical or flask-shaped septal pouches ; 

 a pair of statocysts, each with tube to the exterior, statoliths 

 numerous, composed of sand-grains, which may be enveloped to a 

 greater or less extent with material secreted by the walls of the 

 statocyst. 



HISTORICAL ACCOUNT. This worm was first described by Belon 

 (1553), who observed the use of the "proboscis" in burrowing, the 

 power of contraction of the worm, the tufts of hair in the " joints " 

 in front of the plumes \i.e. the gills], the yellow colour exuded 

 from it, and the castings. 



The first reference to this worm in British literature seems to be 

 that by Carew (1602), which is further noteworthy as being the first 

 record of the name " Lug," 3 by which this species is still commonly 

 known among fishermen. 



1 Prof. Benham (Cambr. Nat. Hist, ii, p. 333) attributes to A. marina twenty 

 chaetiferous segments, but this number has been found only in a small percentage 

 of post-larval stages examined ; the normal number in young and adult specimens 

 is nineteen. 



2 The first nephridium is not uncommonly reduced or even absent. 



3 Low German slow, heavy. The word "lob," which is sometimes used 

 instead of lug, is of similar origin, and expresses " the general notion of some- 

 thing heavy, clumsy." 



