298 '^h'. J. W. Pryde on Annelida Polychceta 



The head is typical aud bears two pairs of black-coloured 

 eyes, which are obliquely placed, while the anterior pair arc 

 somewhat wider a])art. The peristomial segment is broader 

 tlian the succeeding, but is not so broad as that oi N.j^elagica 

 or N. cultrifera. The body increases in breadth to the 

 anterior third and then gradually tapers posteriorly, where 

 it ends in an anal segment which bears two long slender 

 cirri. The body is thus fusiform, but this is not so noticeable 

 as in the Hesionidse, Avhich, in the adult condition, are not 

 so large in size as the Nereidas. The dorsum is deep brown 

 in colour, while the ventrum-is of a slightly lighter hue. 

 Along the dorsum run two white streaks with the dorsal 

 blood-vessel between them, while a dotted white line runs 

 along each side. Some of the other markings which can be 

 easily observed in living specimens were not present, and their 

 absence is no doubt due to the mode of preservation, thus 

 the white median lines which are seen on the head were very 

 much faded. 



The first foot bears a large dorsal cirrus, but otherwise 

 the feet are typical of the species. No specimen showed an 

 extruded proboscis, which has, however, two strongly curved 

 jaws, each having thirteen to sixteen teeth. One fragment^ 

 a female, showed the epitokous condition *. 



Nereis dumerilii, Audouin and Edwards, 1833. 



No specimen of this species occurs in this collection, but 

 it is common on the west coast of Britain in the laminarian 

 region at a depth of 4-6 fathoms. One cannot pull up the 

 tangles without finding one or more specimens of this 

 annelid with tubes attached. It is also found at greater 

 depths. The Monograph says that it is found on the 

 east coast in deep water off St. Andrews, and that the tubes 

 are cast up on the shore after storms f- Its absence is, 

 therefore, probably accounted for by the fact that the 

 investigations of the 'Goldseeker' were confined to the 

 northern area of the North Sea, while this species is partial 

 to the south. Heinen did not find any in his North Sea 

 collection, although he describes this species from museum 

 examples which were obtained in Kiel Bay J. It is found 

 in abundance ai'ound the shores of Japan, and two small and 

 imperfect specimens were procured at St. Vincent, Cape 

 Yerde Islands, July 1873, by the ' Challenger,^ 



* Vide ' Monograph,' vol. ii. part ii. p. 340 ; pi. Ixxiii. figs. 3 a, b, & c. 



t Vide ' M()ii(i>rrapli,' vol. ii. part ii. p. 304. 



\ Vide ' Die Neplitbjdeen uud Lycorideeu,' p. o3. 



