SERPULA WORM SHELL. 129 



little known of the animal. The Serpulae 

 abound in almost all situations that are at times 

 covered by the sea ; they are found attached 

 to various marine substances, from the firmest 

 rock and the sea-weed that grows upon it, to 

 sea-animals the most rapid in their motions. In 

 situations, where they are not subject to inter- 

 ruptions, they form patches of great thickness 

 and extent. Some of the rocks in the island of 

 Gorre are covered with a crust of them several 

 inches thick, and more than twenty feet square. 



SERPULA Tubylaria. 



TUBULAR CREEPER. 



Specific Character. Shell taper, opaque, 

 slightly wrinkled transversely ; the smaller end 

 is usually convoluted irregularly, flexuous or 

 variously twisted, fixed ; the larger end fre- 

 quently detached for half its length ; diameter 

 at the larger end two-tenths of an inch ; length 

 four or five inches. 



This is by no means a common shell ; it is 

 found at Tor Cross, Devonshire ; the head of 

 the animal inhabiting it is long, white, banded 

 with pink and green, and has two beautifully 

 feathered tentacula, originating from a single 

 stalk. 



