Annelida of St. Andrews. 147 



few of the more conspicuous at St. Andrews. The stomachs 

 of cod and haddock are frequently filled with sea-mice and 

 Polynoida3 ; and another very common form is Sigalion 

 MathiJdce. The Nereidaj (from the gigantic AUtta virens^ 

 Sars, Avhich often distends the stomachs of large cod, to the 

 smaller Nereis pelagica and N. cultrifera) are universally 

 eaten. The somewhat uninviting Trophonia plumosa some- 

 times forms the sole food in the stomachs of large haddocks, 

 many hundreds occurring in a single fish. Oivenia filiformis^ 

 with its gravelly tubes, is a favourite diet of the same fish 

 and of cod and flounders. The Terebellidge and their sandy 

 tubes are also largely devoured ; and even Serpulidae are not 

 passed by. Moreover, in their young or larval forms they 

 constitute an important element in the food of the herring and 

 otlier fishes that feed near the surface of the Avater. 



Many of the annelids of St. Andrews are common to the 

 whole British area ; but some have not yet been found in other 

 parts of our seas : as this, however, is probably due to a larger 

 amount of attention having been directed to the locality, we 

 shall not at present particularize. 



The fauna at St. Andrews is distinguished, as far as our 

 present knowledge extends, from the Zetlandic by the absence 

 of such striking forms as Lcetnionice, Panthalis, Nothria 

 conchylegaj Terehella nebulosa^ Pista cristata^ TricJiobrancTius 

 glacialis^ and Difrypa arietina] from that of the western regions 

 by the absence of Spinther^ Lepidonotus clava, Poh/noe scolo- 

 pendrinai Ophiodromus vittatus, Nereis Dumeriliij Oattiola 

 sjjecfahilisj Terehella nebidosa, and Pista cristata ; and of the 

 southern types we miss Euphrosyne, Hermione, Polynoe areo- 

 lata. Nereis Marionii^ Lysidice ninetta, the Eunicidse, the 

 abundance of the Chtetopteridge, Sahellaria alveolata, Leproea 

 textrixj Sahella saxicava^ Protida^ and Filigrana between tide- 

 marks. The great preponderance of Polynoe floccosa in the 

 south is also an interesting feature. 



Amongst the annelids that, besides other very common 

 forms, abound at St. Andrews, and therefore most characteristic 

 of it, are Sigalion Mathildw^ Sthenelais limicola, PhyUodoce 

 laminosa, P. groenlandica^ Nereis cultriferay Alittavirens, Auto- 

 lytus pictus, Aricia Cavieri^ Ophelia, lirnacina, Trophonia plu- 

 mosa, Nerine foliosa, Polydura ciliata, Capitella capitata, 

 Sahellaria sp>inulosa, Pectinaria helgica, Lanice conchilega, 

 Sahella pavonia, and Branchiomnia vesiculosum. 



Some of the phosphorescent forms at St. Andrews have 

 already been noticed * ; so that in the mean time the remarks 



• Ann. .'v: .Ma<r. Xiit. Hist. 4th s."v. 1872, vol. ix. pp. G \- 7. 



10* 



