VERMES. 87 



One specimen, if not a variety, extending eighteen inches, was uni- 

 versally chocolate-red, with the wonted white. The four longitudinal 

 white lines were present as usual ; and the body was encircled by about 

 200 narrow white belts. A transverse section of the body would have 

 been elliptical. No evident distinction indicated the head, and the 

 posterior extremity was quite flat and obtuse. The skin, like that of 

 the others, was perfectly smooth, with a fine soft velvet aspect. This 

 animal formed a very transparent sheath. Once, on replenishing of the 

 vessel with recent sea-water, a pellucid new sheath appeared in a few 

 hours. Plate X. fig. 10. 



A very fine specimen of this kind occurred on April 18th, said to be 

 brought from the deep-sea fishing. It was of a delicate chocolate colour, 

 with innumerable pure white circles. I cannot affirm that it was entire, 

 but it was of very considerable dimensions, perhaps little inferior to those 

 of the former. 



Among the same collections were large portions of the full-grown 

 Gordius anguis, of the ordinary colour, and such as were alive, appeared 

 of superior size. 



In the end of April and beginning of May, large specimens appear 

 plump and full, as if occupied by a growing ovarium. 



Two very fine large specimens were sent to me on the 3d October. 



There also appeared, on extricating them, a small fragment of ano- 

 ther specimen, nearly half an inch in length, which, delineated, slightly 

 exceeded the natural size on the 8th. 



PLATE XIII. Gordius anguis. The Snake Worm. 



PLATE X. 



FIG. 7. Gordius anguis The Snake Worm. 



8. Head, enlarged. 



9. Section of the body, enlarged. 



10. Anterior portion of a different specimen. 



