JOURNAL 



OF THE 



ROYAL MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY. 



OCTOBEE 1881. 



TEANSACTIOXS OF THE SOCIETY. 



XI. — On a sui^posed new Boring Annelid. 

 By Chakles Stewakt, M.E.C.S., F.L.S., Sec. RM.S. 



{Eead lltli May, 1881.) 

 Plate IX. 



I AM indebted to the Directors of the Eastern Tele^graph Exten- 

 sion Company for the opportunity of examining some animals 

 obtained at the time their cable, laid off Singapore, was raised to 

 repair some faults. 



The cable when laid consisted of a central core of copper wire 

 surrounded by guttapercha, outside this was a layer of oakum and 

 tar, followed by iron wire, and this finally invested by another layer 

 of oakum and tar. As long as thi^ outermost covering remained 

 the cable was almost free from incrusting organisms, but as soon as 

 the iron wire was exposed by the disintegi'ation of the oakum it 

 became densely covered by numerous animals, such as SerpuJx, 

 corals, sponges, &:c,. It was in these incrusted portions of the cable 

 that the faults were always found, and were beheved by the captain, 

 Mr. Worsley, to be due to the attacks of some boring worm, with 

 which opinion I entirely concur. The borings passed through the 

 inner layer of oakum, and on reaching the guttapercha either 

 passed directly inwards to the copper core, or pursued a tortuous 



EXPLANATIOX OF PLATE IX. 



Fig. 1. — Lithognatha worslei (natural size). 

 „ 2. — Head of same. The cuticle, partly detached by the action of spirit, 

 showed the usual creases at right an^rles to one another, and at 45° to 

 long axis of worm they correspond with the strife. ( x 22.) 



3. — Calcareous jaws of smaller worm seen from above ( x 27). 



4. — The same, from below (x 27). 



5. — Two pairs of horny jaws of smaller worm ( x 27). 



6. — Appendages of one side of a somite (x 40). 



7. — Extremity of one of the upper aciculi ( x 330). 



8.— Extremity- of one of the lower aciculi ( x 330). 



Ser. 2.— Vol. I. * 3 B 



