18 DB. W, BAIBD ON NEW TUBICOLOUS ANNELIDES. 



coral." Neither the tubes themselves, nor fragments of the coral 

 containing them, were secured ; but as no doubt the former, like 

 the other known species, would be completely immersed in and 

 incrusted by the latter, little information could be obtained from 

 them. 



The branchiae are eoUed round in five spires. The filaments 

 are of moderate length, and plumose on one side. The collar is 

 rather thin and membranous. The operculigerous filament is 

 thick and fleshy, and the operculum itself is large, of an oval 

 form, and armed on its slightly concave surface with two very 

 short and irregularly-toothed horns. The thoracic portion of the 

 body is short and rather square-shaped, with a free margin on 

 each side and on the lower edge ; and the setse of the feet are 

 rather short and bright yellow. The abdominal portion is strongly 

 and densely striated across. The entire length of the animal is 

 about 3 inches (in spirits). 



Hob. East coast of Australia. (Brit. Mus.) 



The way in which these animals were seen and collected is 

 thus described by Mr. Jukes in his Narrative of the voyage : — 

 " A block of coral rock that was brought up by a fish-hook from 

 the bottom at one of our anchorages was interesting from the 

 vast variety and abundance of animal life there was about it. It 

 was a mere worn, dead fragment ; but its surface was covered with 

 brown, crimson, and yellow nulliporse, many small actiniae and 

 soft branching corallines, sheets of flustra and eschara, and deli- 

 cate reteporse, looking like beautiful lacework carved in ivory. 

 There were several small sponges and alcyonia, sea-weeds of two 

 or three species, two species of comatula and one of ophiura of 

 the most delicate colours and markings, and many small, flat, 

 roTuid corals, something lite nummulites in external appearance. 

 On breaking into the block, boring shells of several species were 

 found buried in it ; tubes formed by Annelida pierced it in all 

 directions, many still containing their inhabitants, while two or 

 three worms, or nereis, lay twisted in and out among its hollows 

 and recesses, in which, likewise, were three small species of crabs. 

 This block was not above a foot in diameter, and was a perfect 

 museum in itself, while its outside glared with beauty from the 

 many brightly and variously coloured animals and plants. It was 

 by no means a solitary instance ; every block that could be pro- 

 ciired from the bottom, in from 10 to 20 fathoms, was like it. 

 What an inconceivable amount of animal life must be here scat- 

 tered over the bottom of the Sea, to say nothing of that moving 



