DR. BATED ON THE APHRODITACEAN ANNELIDES, 177 



head-lobe small, rounded ; tentacle very short; palpi of considerable 

 length, yellowish. Feet-bearing segments of body 42, feet 42 

 pairs, biramous, ventral branch strong and much corrugated, ob- 

 tusely rounded at extremity, inferior cirrus rather strong and of 

 considerable size. Bristles of this branch strong, of a bronzed 

 colour, simple, disposed in two fascicles, of which the inferior are 

 short and lighter coloured, the superior much stronger and not 

 numerous. Upper or dorsal branch of feet furnished with two 

 fascicles of bristles ; the lower consisting of very numerous, sim- 

 ple, and slender hairs, presenting, as in A. aculeata, an iridescent 

 fringe along the sides, but not nearly so beautiful as in the Euro- 

 pean species, being more of a bronzed metallic hue. The upper 

 fascicle of bristles penetrate the felty covering, and lie down on 

 the back. They are very long, each being at least 14 lines in 

 length. They are of a pale colour with a slightly metallic hue, 

 become slender at the extremity, and are simple. The dorsal cirri 

 are stout, setaceous, and white. The ventral surface of the animal 

 is brownish- coloured and rough, with very numerous, small points 

 or projections. 



This species resembles very much the European species A. 

 aculeata, and is evidently the Australian representative of our 

 common Sea-Mouse. We have two specimens in the collection, 

 one from Port Lincoln, collected and presented by Mr. G-eorge 

 Erench Angas, and another (in bad condition, unfortunately) 

 from Yan Dieman's Land. 



Sah. Australian Seas. (Mus. Brit.) 



Genus II. Heemione, Blainville, Diet. Se. Nat. art. Vers. 



vol. Ivii, p. 457. 



Halithese Hermionse, Savigny, Syst. Annelid, p. 20. 



Eyes peduncled, the peduncles attached under the margin of 

 the head ; back more or less free from covering. Elytra bearing 

 feet armed with barbed bristles on dorsal branch ; bristles of ven- 

 tral branch few and bidentate or forked. 



Savigny, Blainville, Audouin and Milne-Edwards, Johnston, 

 G-rube, and others, all give as a decided character of the genus the 

 laclc heing nahed and showing the elytra, instead of being covered 

 with a felty coat. This, however, I consider to be a character upon 

 which not much reliance is to be placed, as in the first species, 

 Hermione hystrix, we have a specimen in the collection brought 

 by Mr. M' Andrew from the Canaries, in which the back is en- 

 tirely covered with a thin coat of matted hair and membrane, 

 which completely conceals the elytra from view ; and in another 



