VERMES. 71 



pcared in the vessel containing fig. 1. This animal is not rare, but 

 seldom seen above four inches long. The finest specimens I have had 

 were from Alexander Wood, an intelligent fisherman at Cellardyke. 



The resemblance of the Planaria dorsalis of Miiller to this Gordius, 

 renders it probable that he has mistaken a mutilated portion of the an- 

 terior for an entire specimen ; not an uncommon error among natu- 

 ralists. 



Specimens have survived many months in my possession. 



PLATE X. 



FIG. 1. Gordius taenia. 



2. Another specimen. 



3. Ova. 



4. Group, enlarged. 



2. GORDIUS MINOR. The features of the two preceding species are 

 sufficiently distinctive in the position and form of the mouth, the 

 anterior portions, and in their extraordinary dimensions. Yet it must 

 be allowed, that we are ignorant whether the form of the posterior 

 extremity of the first has been ascertained. But the characters of all 

 the species comprehended in this paragraph are not equally strong, and 

 although some of them may be thought prominent enough, probably we 

 are deficient as to others, either to determine their varieties, or to assign 

 them with confidence to their proper place. Accidental mutilation may 

 have removed a part essential for shewing form, size, or colour, while 

 the observer believes his specimen entire and perfect. Patience, time, 

 and numbers are perhaps his surest safeguard here. However, he can 

 scarcely expect any protection against the constant delusion of varieties. 



The only permanent characters of the animals of this paragraph, 

 are the form of the head, and position of the mouth. They ai'e of various 

 colours, especially white, green, brown, reddish, and purple. A fine 

 specimen, eight inches long, occurred of pale purple. They dwell under 

 stones, in fissures of the rocks, and they take shelter under any miscel- 

 laneous mass that may be in their vicinity. The elasticity of the body 

 renders all computations of the true dimensions equivocal. 



