‘112 R. Etheridge, jun —Carboniferous Tubicolar Annelida. 
This power of burying itself in the substance of other bodies, 
although possessed by a species, does not appear to be always taken 
advantage of, for examples of M. pusillus are as common at certain 
localities, simply adhering to the surface of other organisms, as they 
are elsewhere when forming a depression in the substance of the 
body to which they may have attached themselves. . 
In connexion with this habit of forming a depression in other 
bodies, we must refer to the genus Spiroglyphus, a name applied by 
M‘Coy in 1844 to a Carboniferous worm possessing this peculiarity. 
M‘Coy gives the genus as by Lamarck, but without any reference. 
So far as I have been able to ascertain at present, Lamarck never 
described such a genus; but there was one so named by Daudin as 
early as 1800, although it appears to be very little known or quoted. 
Both Bronn! and Pictet? ascribe Spiroglyphus to M‘Coy, and were 
evidently unacquainted with Daudin’s description, whilst Morris* 
follows much in the same track. The late Dr. 8. P. Woodward* 
placed Spiroglyphus provisionally as a subgenus of Vermetus, but he 
cautiously remarks, ‘“‘ Perhaps an Annelide?” Lastly, Dr. Chenu 
assigns the genus to Gray! and, like Woodward, regarded it asa 
subgenus, but of Siphoniwm. 
On turning to Daudin’s little work,® we find Spiroglyphus regularly 
defined as a ‘‘'Tubular shell, in an irregular spiral, and forming for 
itself a bed, or groove, on the surface of other marine shells,” and 
placed near Serpula and Spirorbis, with which Daudin considered it 
to be allied. He further describes two species from the Indian 
Ocean, S. politus and S. annulatus.® 
Now, if any deviation from the name Spirorbis is to be adopted 
for these Carboniferous worm-tubes, we have before us the choice of 
Microconchus, Murchison, a name under which they are frequently 
known ; or Spiroglyphus, Daudin. Notwithstanding the great gap 
existing between an Annelide of the Carboniferous and one now 
living, I fail to see clearly how they can be separated. If future 
researches should show connecting links throughout the other 
formations, Spiroglyphus will have to be adopted. It has priority 
in date, and the double advantage of having been described in 
detail by its author. In subsequent pages I shall use the following 
subdivision of Spirorbis, thus :— 
(a). Spirorbis proper. Worm-tubes possessing the generic characters, and simply 
seated on and adhering to the surface of foreign bodies. 
(2). Microconchus, Murchison (= Spiroglyphus, Daudin ?), possessing the previous 
characters, but with the habit of, at times, making a depression or 
groove in the surface of the sustaining body. 
Another point of much interest in connexion with these Annelid 
remains is the camerated, or septated character, of the tube in 
some species. This feature was many years ago pointed out by 
1 Index Pal. p. 1184. 3 Cat. Brit. Foss. 2nd ed. 1854, p. 94. 
2 Traité de Pal. ii. p. 590. * Man. Mollusca, p. 133. 
° Receuil de Mémoires et de Notes sur les Espéces inédites ou peu connues de 
Mollusques, de Vers, et de Zoophytes, 12mo. Paris, 1800 (p. 39). 
§ pp. 49 and 50. 
a 
