174 Prof. M'Intosli's Notes from the 



system it is allied to Ilircinia and Euspongia. It occupies 

 an intermediate position between the known types. 



I bestow the name Sarcomus * on this new genus, which 

 appears to me to deserve a new family. The species from 

 the environs of Nice I designate Sarcomus Georgi'\. 



XXII. — Notes from the St. Andrews Marine Laboratory 

 {under the Fishery Board for Scotland). — No. XII. By 

 Prof. M'Intosh, M.D., LL.D., F.R.S., &c. 



1. Preliminary Note on the Occurrence of the Pelagic Annelids and 



Chsetognaths in St. Andrews Bay throughout the Year. 



2. On the British Species of Spinther. 



3. On the Young Stages of the Gunnel {Centronotus gunnelhis). 



1. Preliminary Note on the Occurrence of the Pelagic Annelids 

 and Chcetognaths in St. Andrews Bay throughout the 

 Year. 



The following remarks on the pelagic Annelids of the Bay of 

 St. Andrews are preliminary, and formed indeed part of 

 a survey of the whole pelagic forms from fishes downwards 

 during the year 1888 — especially in their relation to the 

 fisheries |. 



So far as regards the marine Polychceta the contrast with 

 southern waters is marked, since hitlierto there has been an 

 absence of such typical pelagic Annelids as the Alciopidee, so 

 well described by Greet §, or the Syllidians, which have lately 

 received the careful attention of Viguier ||. The only adult 

 pelagic forms, indeed, are Autolytus and the sexual forms of 

 the Nereides. All the others are larval, postlarval, and 

 young stages of Annelids, and thus fall under the temporarily 

 pelagic grouj). They often occur in large numbers and pro- 

 bably exercise an important function in connexion with the 

 food of post-larval and young fishes, for it is well known that 



* From aapKMfia, a fleshy excrescence. 



t Named after Georges Guessler, a very skilful diver employed by me, 

 and who obtained for me the first specimen of this sponge. Since then 

 1 have often collected it myself. 



X I have the same acknowledgment to make as in the previous note 

 (XL) in regard to the assistance given me in the examination of the various 

 nets by Mr. J. Pentland Smith, M.A., B.Sc. 



§ " Untersuchungen iiber Alciopiden/' Nova Acta L. C. 39. 



II '' Sur les Animaux inferieurs, II. Annelides Pelagiques," Archiv. 

 Zool. Exper. 2"' ser. iv. p. 347. 



