- 22 - 



if one touches the animal and cause inflammation. This crea- 

 ture is one of the commonest in the Gulf. 



Yery imposing are the Eunice, which attain o considerable 

 length. The undulating and lively motion of their glittering 

 bodies , which are set with hundreds of fringed gills , has a 

 beautiful effect. But they are very rare, and only to be found 

 in the Aquarium two or three times in a year. The yellow 

 Halla, of the same family, is found oftener. Besides the An- 

 nelids described , the visitor will find a variety of kindred 

 animals with similar habits; but to mention and describe them 

 all, would unnecessarily exceed the proposed limits of this 

 little book. 



Lately the attention of naturalists has been particularly directed 

 to Annelids, because the study of comparative anatomy has di- 

 scovered points in their organism which seem to support the 

 hypothesis of a connection between these animals and the 

 Vertebrates. At present a lively scientific discussion upon this 

 question is going on , which is a great inducement to pursue 

 zoological inquiry in this direction. 



Besides the remaining divisions of worms (not including the 

 innumerable intestinal worms of fishes and other marine animals 

 which, naturally, are not proper objects for exhibition in the 

 aquarium), many other smaller creatures live in the tanks, such 

 as the leaf-shaped, often gaily-coloured Planariae or whirlpool 

 ivorms', of the star worms (Gepliyrea)i\\Q?Q are the white Sipun- 

 Culus , Spurt-worm, which buries itself in the sand, and the 

 green Bonellia, which hides its round body in rocky holes, and 

 can extend its thread-like trunk to an enormous length. By a 

 canal in this trunk the animal conducts nourishment to its mouth, 

 which is situated at the root of the trunk. Until now this animal 

 has been a rare guest in the Aquarium, and has seldom shown 

 itself to the visitor for more than a few moments at a time. 

 It is oftener found in the Adriatic than in the Gulf of Naples, 

 but may be collected in any quantity on the coasts of .Dalmatia. 

 We must still notice a very peculiar group of animals, similar 

 to the worms, the Bryozoa, or moss-animals, so called from 

 the mossy-looking bunches they form. The position of this group 

 in the scientific system has always been very dubious, and even 

 now they are only classed provisionally with the worms. By ol- 

 der naturalists these animals were declared to be related to the- 

 polypes, and indeed the spectator might easily mistake the pretty 

 net-like frills of the Retepora, or the branching trees of the 

 Myriozoum and Eschara for corals. But closer examination 



