107 



TAB. LI. 

 NEREIS pectinata. 



Class 6. Vermes. Order 4. INIollusca. 



Spec. Char. Smooth, prismatically coloured. Ten- 

 tacula 14 on each side, gold-coloured. Legs 

 14 on each side, also gold-coloured. 



1 HIS strikingly beautiful and curious annual excited the 

 attention of the ingenious Dr. Boys, who was so kind as 

 to present me with specimens of it a long time since. The 

 tentacula and the peduncles being of a finely golden ap- 

 pearance, recall that grand description in the Revelations, 

 " his feet were like unto fine brass, as if they were burned 

 in a furnace." Whether the inspired writers alluded to 

 natural history in their descriptions we do not know ; they 

 are however very sublime in some of their comparisons. 

 The tentacula appear somewhat solid, but the feet seem 

 to be composed of bundles of golden hairs. There are 

 numbers of little brown papillas upon what appears to be 

 the lip. There are prominent, almost laminated sorts of 

 thighs to the feet or bundles of hairs. We could not find 

 the organs by which life is sustained such as the mouth, &c. 

 The marine animals require much attention to discern 

 their functions and manner of living ; but we expect to 

 improve in this kind of knowledge, as the present age is 

 laudably inquisitive into such subjects^ which can hardly 



