r,]C, 



AUTICULATA. 



ORDER 1. ERRANTIA. 



This term means wandering, and is applied to numerous species, of whicli the Lob-Worm or 

 Lro-WouM, Arenicola piscatorum, is a common example. This animal, much used by fishermen 

 for bait, is nearly a foot long, and is found on sandy parts of the coast, where it bores into the 

 sand K'ft wet by the n-tiring tide; its head is large and rounded, quite destitute of eyes or ten- 

 ta<Mda, and fiirnished with a short, unarmed proboscis. The feet are very small, and confined to 

 the anterior part of the body, while the branchial tufts, which are of considerable size, are placed 

 on each side of the middle segments. 



Tlio fiiiiilv of Aphroditidce, some species of which are known as Sea-Mice, includes certain 

 marine animals of great beauty. In these worms the body is generally broad or ovate, the head 

 small, and furnished with very short tentacula ; the feet are large, with immense tufts of bristles and 

 spines, often of the most remarkable forms, and exhibiting the most brilliant metallic colors. 

 Each of these hairs is retractile within a horny sheath, which serves to protect the soft parts of 



the animal from injury by its own 

 weapons. The Common Sea-Mouse, 

 Aphrodita «r?<^pata, is oval-shaped, six 

 or eight inches long, two or three wide. 

 Cuvier says that the covering of this 

 animal does not yield in brilliancy to 

 the plumage of the humming-birds, or 

 even the most shining gems. 



The family oi Nereides includes some 

 elongated and distinctly annulated 

 worms, which possess a well-developed head, furnished with tentacles and eyes, and a mouth 

 with a proboscis, which is sometimes furnished with two or four teeth. The cirri or tentacles 

 attached to the feet are often of considerable length, and sometimes even annulated. The ani- 

 mals frequently present an appearance strongly re- 

 sembling that of the more elongated Myriaj^oda. 



In the next family, the JSunicidce, the branchial 

 tufts are of considerable size, and the mouth is 

 armed with from seven to nine toothed jaws. This 

 group includes some species of large size ; the 

 Eunice gigantea, which inhabits the West Indian 

 seas, grows to the length of four or five feet ; and 

 others, found in the Southern Ocean, are said to at- 

 tain double that length. 



Zoologists also place in this order a curious ter- 

 restrial annelide, found in the West Indies, and 

 called Feri2)atus. In its general appearance it ex- 

 hibits a most striking resemblance to some of the 

 Millepedes. The Leodice antennata has the organs 

 of locomotion attached to each segment : they are 

 usually in the form of movable spines, and are used 

 as oars. 



THE NEREIS. 



THE SLRPULA CONTORTUPLICATA. 



ORDER 2. TUBICOLA. 



The worms belonging to this order are all marine, 

 and are distinguished by their invariable habit of 

 forming a tube or case, within which the soft parts of the animal can be entirely retracted. 

 This tube is usually attached to stones or other submarine bodies. It is often composed of 

 various foreign materials, such as sand, small stones, and the debris of shells, lined internally with 



