WARNING COLOURS 201 



Mr. Garstang has still more recently come across 

 an instance of the same kind in a bright red marine 

 worm, one of the Terebellidce (Poly cirrus aurantiacus), 

 which, unlike the rest of its family, has dispensed 

 with the protection of a tube, and creeps about in the 

 crevices of stones and among the roots of Laminaria. 

 It has an immense number of long, slender- tentacles, 

 and when touched, coils itself up in the middle of them. 

 The tentacles break off very easily, and evidently possess 

 some unpleasant attribute. When the animal is irri- 

 tated the tentacles become brilliantly phosphorescent, 

 so that they are conspicuous by night as well as day. 

 Mr. Garstang obtained experimental evidence of the 

 validity of this interpretation. He placed a specimen in 

 one of the fish-tanks in the Plymouth Laboratory : only 

 one pollack ventured to seize the worm, but ejected it 

 immediately, and would not touch it again. Another 

 fish made three vigorous attempts to swallow it, but 

 finally left it. Another, a very voracious rock-fish, ac- 

 tually swallowed it, but immediately afterwards began 

 to work its jaws about as if experiencing discomfort. 

 Mr. Garstang then cut the head and tentacles away from 

 the body and threw both pieces into the pollack tank : 

 the tentacles were untouched, but a fight took place 

 over the body, which was torn into several pieces and 

 swallowed with great relish. Mr. Garstang has kindly 

 allowed me to describe these interesting experiments, 

 which have only just been made, and have not, as 

 yet, been published elsewhere. 



