DR. BATED ON THE APHEODITACEAN ANNELTDES. 173 



dubii hsereant quonam hoc vel illud noviter repertum ex hac classe animal 

 referant, quove nomine adpellent." — Pallas. Miscell. Zool. p. 72. 



Amokgst the Aphroditacea are several Annelides whicli are 

 remarkable for their size and beauty. The genus Aphrodita, 

 from which the family derives its name, was created by Linnaeus 

 to contain the brilliantly shining and splendidly iridescent-haired 

 worm, commonly known by the name of the Sea-Mouse, and 

 several other alKed species which now form the types of distinct 

 genera. Of these MM. Audouin and Milne-Edwards enume- 

 rate 6, and Grrube 7 ; but later authors have so increased the 

 number of species belonging to these, that Kinberg, a Swedish 

 naturalist, and one of the most receut writers on the subject of 

 the Annelides, has found it convenient to form almost each of the 

 older genera into distinct families. In this paper I propose 

 adopting his arrangement, as well as his terminology. 



MM. Audouin and Milne-Edwards, and most succeeding authors, 

 describe the animals belonging to the Aphroditacea as possessing 

 five antennae — one, single, in the centre, which they call the 

 median antenna, or antenne iinpaire, two others (one on each 

 side) which they denominate the intermediate, and two others, 

 which they call the external. In addition to these organs con- 

 nected with the head, are a pair of antenna-like organs which 

 terminate the first pair of feet, instead of a fascicle of bristles, and 

 which they describe by the name of the ventral cirri of the first 

 pair of feet. Kinberg looks upon the single antenna in the cen- 

 tre as being a tentacle or feeler ; the intermediate antennse he 

 considers the true antennce ; and the external ones he calls palpi ; 

 whilst the ventral cirri of the first pair of feet are denominated 

 the buccal cirri. 



Eamily I. APHEODITIDJE. 

 (Aphroditacea, Kinberg.') 

 The family ApJiroditidce may be thus characterized : — Animals 

 of an ovate or oblong form, convex on the back, with a distinct 

 head in the form of a lobe, on the sides of which are situate one 

 pair of eyes, and from the centre of which springs a small tentacle; 

 underneath it there is a granular facial tubercle ; no antennse ; 

 two palpi, springing from the base of the head-lobe ; buccal cirri 

 short, tentacular cirri long ; jaws cartilaginous, not very distinct ; 

 branchiae indistinct ; elytra 15 pairs, occurring on the 2nd, 4th, 

 5th, 7th, and all alternate segments of the body to the 25th, on 

 the 28th, and 32nd. 



