92 ANNELIDES. 



certainly because of their exact resemblance, in miniature, to 

 the different forms which the ingenuity of man has given to his 

 instruments of warfare to render them more hurtful and deadly ; 

 and man possesses none which are better adapted to their purpose 

 than the bristles with which certain Annelides are furnished. In 

 fact, we can find no fitter instruments wherewith to compare the 

 annelidan armoury, than harpoons, bayonets, lances, spears, and bill- 

 hooks * . 



The harpoon-bristle offers this peculiarity, — it is not always com- 

 plete, and it appears to be produced sometimes only when j^^ xv. 

 required f. If we figure to ourselves a very acutely pointed 

 bristle marked obliquely by a cross line beneath, indicating 

 the place of junction between the point and the shaft, we 

 shall have a pretty exact idea of the reality (No. XV. 

 fig. 24). The use of this novel weapon seems to be suffi- 

 ciently indicated by its shape. It is evident that if the 

 bristle is thrust deep enough into an opposing body so 

 that the harpoon is wholly immersed, this cannot be again 

 withdrawn on account of the hold taken by the reverted 

 tooth. And as this connexion might prove inconvenient, 

 if not dangerous, to the worm, when the enemy was equal 

 in bulk, or more powerful than itself, it has the power of 

 detaching the harpoon from the shaft, and keeping itself 

 thus at freedom to act, and to renew the battle. Audouin 

 and M.-Edwards have noticed several individuals that, from 

 being apparently engaged in repeated combats, had lost all 

 these weapons. Yet, though they were thus deprived of 

 an essential part, the biistles were still formidable enough ; 

 for as the harpoon breaks off at the joint in an oblique 

 manner, the shaft is left with an acute sloped apex, against 

 which no soft creature could press without danger of a 

 severe wound. 



The structure of the bayonet-bristles (No.XVI.fig.2o-27) 

 is more complicated. These are armed with a kind of 

 pricker which is joined on to the extremity and side of the 

 shaft in much the same way as a bayonet is fixed to the 

 end of a musket (fig. 25) . This appendage is not only very sharp, 

 and formed with several cutting surfaces, but it is incised below into 

 a spine pointed backwards («), which gives it the advantage and pro- 

 perty of a harpoon. Hence, having been forced to penetrate the 

 flesh, the point cannot be again extricated, but is detached at once 

 from the side of the shaft on which it was articulated. This, how- 

 ever, is not the most curious part of the instrument ; and were it 



* The Bristles : fixed resemblances " to implements of ordinary use," but so 

 small in size, and so delicate in tooling, that they are made rather for the admi- 

 ration of man than for the use of the worm that bears, &c. 



The Satan of the ancient " Mysteries " was '* a werm with an aungelys face," 

 t " lis oflfrent cela de remarquable, que le harpon ne se montre pas toujours 

 tout forme, et qu'il parait quelquefois ne se produire que lorsque le besoin I'exige." 

 — Ann. des Sc. Nat. xxvii. p. 378. 



