174 DK. BATED ON THE APHEODITACEAN ANNELIDES. 



The family thus characterized will now be restricted to four 

 genera, all of which have strict relations with each other. 



The genus ApJirodita, as now restricted, will contain those 

 species in which the eyes are sessile, which have the back covered 

 with a thick coat of felty hair, and in which the bristles issuing 

 from the feet are all simple. 



The genus Hermione will contain those species in which the 

 eyes are peduncled, which have no, or only a very thin, covering 

 of felty hair on the back, and in which the bristles of the feet 

 are of two kinds — those on the dorsal branch being barbed like an 

 arrow, and those on the ventral branch bidentate. 



The genus Aphrogenia contains such species as have the eyes 

 sessile, which have no felty covering on the back, and in which the 

 bristles of the dorsal branch of the feet are uncinate, not barbed, 

 and those of the ventral branch bidentate. 



The genus Lcetatonice will contain those species which have 

 the eyes peduncled ; which have a felty covering on the back; and 

 in which the bristles of the dorsal branch of the feet are densely 

 barbed, and those of the ventral branch semipennate. 



The known species belonging to the family are not numerous, 

 only nine or ten having as yet been described ; but, in determining 

 the species contained in the national collection in the British 

 Museum, some new forms have occurred to me which I think it 

 is desirable should be described and placed on record. 



G-enus I. Aphbodita*, LinncBUs, 



Halithea (part) (Halitheae simplices), Savigny. 



Eyes sessile ; back covered with a thick, close felt of matted 



simple hair and membrane ; setae of ventral feet very numerous 



and iridescent, and, as well as all the other bristles, simple, not 



barbed or toothed. 



Sp. 1. Aphbodita aculeata, lAnnceus. 



This is the well-known Sea-Mouse, occurring in most of the 

 seas of Europe. It is mentioned under various names by many 

 of our earlier British writers, Mouffet, Sibbald, Molyneux, Dale, 

 &c., as common on our own shores. Linnaeus, who first gave it 



* Aphrodite {'AfpoSiTr]) is the Greek name for Venus. Linnaeus, who 

 first established the genus, named it Jjphrodita. Many succeeding authors, 

 considering the termination to be not strictly classical, write it Aphrodite ; but 

 as the former is merely the Doric method of spelling the word, and as it is 

 therefore not strictly incorrect, I adopt the Linnsean name. 



