1 58 JUNE. 



the entire head. Its whole surface is rough and papillose, 

 and around its extremity, which is the largest part, there 

 is a row of small knobs or warts. This curious organ is 

 found under similar conditions in very many Annelids ; 

 it is commonly called the proboscis, or evertile oesopha- 

 gus ; but in truth it is a special and peculiar apparatus, 

 with little analogy with anything found in higher 

 animals : it is in some species furnished with strong 

 horny teeth, and is doubtless employed for the capture 

 of living prey, and the conveyance of it to the stomach. 



The tail of the specimen I refer to was evidently being 

 renewed after having been accidentally lost. For the 

 body-segments ended abruptly, and were followed by a 

 portion, not more than an eighth of an inch long, white, 

 and excessively delicate ; but which, when examined 

 with a powerful magnifier, displayed a division into 

 segments, each segment carrying its proper cirri ; I 

 could count twenty segments within that minute space, 

 the last of which carried the usual pair of stylets. 



I find among my notes a record of a specimen of 

 Phyllodoce, which, if not identical with this, was closely 

 allied to it, in which I observed the continuance of 

 vitality after the severance of the creature into parts. 

 It was sent to me from Torquay, when I lived near 

 London. When it arrived I found that about an inch 

 and a quarter of the anterior extremity was detached 



