Gatty Marine ^(tfiorufori/, St. Andrews, 17 



anterior margin most minutely serrated, the serrations 

 readily escaping detection even under high powers. The 

 posterior border is concave, and the base is convex in front, 

 concave posteriorly (O.G. curve). 



Potts considers that the conical peristomiura is primitive, 

 and that the formation of the peristomial funnel is a direct 

 adaptation to microphagous habits. The prostomium is a 

 definite structure, but varies in the several species, being 

 better developed in some than in others. It is better 

 developed in P. anylicus than in P. elioil, Crosslaud, from 

 Zanzibar. 



In the Spionida3, Southern found Pyfjaspio seticornis 

 (CErated) on the West Coast of Ireland, and observed that it 

 ditlers from what he had described in the ' Proceedings of the 

 linyal Irish Academy' as Spio seticornis, Fabricius, from 

 Clare Island. In Pygospio seticornis the head is bluntly 

 bifid, though when seen laterally it is conical. The 

 branchiae commence on the fir.st or second segment, and are 

 large about the twelfth or thirtteuth. The tail ends iu 

 two larger and two small cirri, somewhat like Pyyospio 

 elegans ; though iu one example the four caudal cirri were 

 about equal. What was sent as a young specimen presented 

 only two ovate lobes at the tail. The anterior bristles are 

 stouter and more boldly curved, with a scoop-shaped lamella 

 in front of them, whilst those at the tail are as usual iu the 

 group and nearly straight. There are five or six tufts of 

 these. 



The hooded hooks commence on the seventh bristled seg- 

 ment, and are more boldly curved about the anterior third. 

 There can be little doubt about Girsted^s form being a 

 Pyyospio. It is not the Nereis seticornis of O. Fabricius. 



CErsted describes the species as having two series of 

 parallel eyes, the tentacles not alternate ; the segments 

 devoid of black pigment; ligulate brancliise in the middle 

 of the body, but diminishing and disappearing at either 

 extremity. 



This form closely resembles Pygospio elegans, Claparede, 

 with the exception of the arrangement of the branchiee, and 

 has been a puzzle to many students of the group. It is in 

 need of careful re-examinatiou. Leschke gives an account 

 of two stages of what he considers to be the pelagic larvie, 

 which occur likewise in British waters, though their identity 

 has not been satisfactorily tested. 



Spio martinensis, Mesuil, comes from Dublin, Clew, and 

 Blacksod Bays, Ireland (Souf/iern). This is a much larger 

 Ann. d; May. N. Hist. Ser. 9. Vol. ix. 2 



