CHAPTER XV 



GEPHYREA 



INTRODUCTION ANATOMY DEVELOPMENT SIPUNCULOIDEA 



PRIAPULOIDEA ECHIUROIDEA EPITHETOSOMATOIDEA 



AFFINITIES OF THE GROUP. 



THE animals included in the above-named group were formerly 

 associated with the Echinodermata. Delle Chiaje. 1 states that 

 Bohadsch of Prague in 1757 was the first to give an accurate 

 description of Sipunculus under the name of Syrinx, but Lin- 

 naeus, who noted that in captivity the animal always kept its 

 anus directed upwards, re-named it Sipunculus. Lamarck 2 placed 

 the Gephyrea near the Holothurians ; and Cuvier 8 also assigned 

 them a position amongst the Echinoderms. He mentions JBonellia, 

 Thalassema, Echiurus, Sternaspis, and three species of Sipunculus, 

 one of which, S. edulis, " sert de nourriture aux Chinois qui 

 habitent Java, et qui vont la chercher dans le sable au moyen 

 de petits bambous prepares." 



The name Gephyrea 4 was first used by Quatrefages, who 

 regarded these animals as bridging the gulf between the Worms 

 and the Echinoderms. He included in this group the genus 

 Sternaspis (vide p. 335), now more usually classed with the 

 Chaetopoda. 



The Gephyrea are exclusively marine. They are sub- 

 cylindrical animals, which can either retract the anterior end 

 of their body the introvert carrying the mouth into the 



1 Memorie sulla Storia e Notomia degli Animali senza Vertebre, 1823. 



2 Jtistoire Naturelle des Animavx sans Vertisbres, vol. iii. 1816, p. 76. 



3 Lc Regnc Animal, 2nd ed. 1830. 



i = a bridge, Ann. Sci. Nat. (3), vol. vii. 1847, p. 340. 



