APHRODITA. 169 



boscis is armed with four black fangs. These parts were exposed on the 

 death of a small specimen, not above eight lines long, with a black stripe 

 down the middle of dingy scales. 



This species devours other Aphroditae. 



PLATE XXIV. 



FIG. 11. Aphrodita variam, extending sixteen lines, with brown and blackish 



scales. 

 12. Specimen with red and yellow scales. 



4. APHRODITA VELOX. Plate XXIV. Fig. 13. 







At first sight I was so much impressed by the great difference between 

 the aspect of this minute animal from all the other Aphroditga occurring 

 to me, that I felt disposed to name it provisionally Aphrodita velox. 



Nevertheless it may be possibly only an early stage of the A. squamata, 

 cirrom, or some one sufficiently known. I am very far, therefore, from 

 pronouncing it a distinct species. 



Much of the appearance and habits of this section of the Aphrodita, 

 perhaps, depend on age. The activity of the small specimen under re- 

 view, scarcely half an inch long, was extraordinary, and from the transpa- 

 rence, its whole structure was well exposed by the microscope. It swam 

 swiftly and frequently through the water, whence I was disposed to con- 

 sider it the young of the Aphrodita cirrosa. If so, it affords a favourable 

 illustration of the evolution of additional parts. 



Length four or five lines ; breadth a line. Four distinct black eyes. 

 About twenty pencils issue from each side, together with eight or ten 

 aciculae, extending much beyond them, from each side also. At first I be- 

 lieved the animal totally divested of scales, and that it was a mere skeleton, 

 but I afterwards observed a double row of about ten vascular scales in each, 

 covering the back, the sheaths and their pencils being almost invisible 

 from extreme transparence, while the more solid organs seemed predo- 

 minant from shining through them. There seemed to be an aperture in 

 each scale. 



