412 THE ANNELIDA POLYCHAETA. 



Maldanella Mcintosh. 



Challenger Annelida, 1885, p. 384. 



Anterior end of head not specially set off. Nuchal organs more or less 

 diverging cephalad, or with the anterior ends curving out in hook-like form. 

 Median ridge present as a weak keel, low and flat. Just caudad of the caudal 

 ends of the nuchal organ a pronounced transverse furrow and several finer 

 sulci either extend entnely across plate or form a series on each side. A less 

 pronounced, wide furrow crosses the plate toward the anterior end. Free margin 

 strongly developed all the way around. 



Eighth somite double, bearing setae both anteriorly and posteriorly. Poste- 

 rior segments decreasing in length caudad, the part between the last setigerous 

 segment and the anal cirri proximally subcylindrical and distally widening 

 more or less strongly, funnel-shaped. 



Anal cirri all short, subtriangular or tooth-like, equal or nearly so, none on 

 the midventral line. 



First setigerous somite bearing only the dorsal capillary setae, all others 

 with neuropodial uncini as well. 



Glandular bands present about front border of anterior somites. The 

 setigerous elevations may form glandular tori also, which are more sharply de- 

 fined and elevated caudad, corresponding glandular tori also occurring on the 

 last three non-setigerous somites. 



Neck of uncini more or less bent upwards. Subrostral setae numerous, 

 extending across tip of the large hook. The anterior capillary setae very fine, 

 bilimbate at least in distal region. Posterior or major capillary setae of all 

 somites with slenderly acuminate limbate region and fine, smooth tip. 



Genotype. — M. antarctica Mcintosh. 



Mcintosh established this genus (Challenger Annehda, 1885, p. 394, 396, 

 398) for three species, M. antarctica, M. valparaisensis, and M. neo-zelandica. 

 Unfortunately he gave no diagnosis of the genus whatsoever, and designated 

 no type; and the descriptions of the species are too incomplete to furnish the 

 information necessary for a satisfactory diagnosis. But the species described 

 below are undoubtedly congeneric with those described by Mcintosh, and on 

 this assumption the diagnosis given above has been drawn up. Axiothea cam- 

 panulata Moore, as indicated by Arwidsson, seems also to conform to this genus. 



