246 MR. L. N. G. RAMSAY ON 
The above views differ from those of Claparede in several 
particulars. This authority considered that the first pair of 
parapodia was borne by the buecal segment, and that the first 
two pairs of parapodia represented the notopodia of the rest. 
As to the first point, I think it is plain, both in the case of 
Major Elwes’ specimen and in the Puget Sound material, that 
the first pair of feet arises from the segment next behind that 
which bears the tentacular cirri. They are, however, directed 
forward in such a way that it is not unnatural that even a 
careful observer should conclude that they arose from the buccal 
segment, if one takes into account the minute size of the worm. 
The transverse sections make this point still clearer. As to the 
second point, the sections again show clearly that the first two 
pairs of feet bear cirri on the under surface—not on the dorsal, as 
would be the case if they were notopodia. Further, these feet 
plainly arise from the same level as the neuropodia of the 
following ones, as can be seen both in the sections and in the 
complete specimens. 
Text-figure 3. 5 Text-figure 4. 
Text-figure 3.—Micronereis variegata. 
Transverse section (oblique) through anterior region, showing one of the posterior 
pair of tentacular cirri (Z’.C.) and their common base, and the first parapodium 
(Z., on the left); on the right, Z., IL., III., IV. indicate the first four para- 
podia. Vasc., vascular tissue of same. X 56. 
Text-figure 4.—WMicronereis variegata. 
Oblique section through the 2nd parapodium, showing the ventral cirrus. 
X about 137. 
These points have an important bearing on the systematic 
position of the genus. 
Claparéde also suggested that the parapodial cirri were more 
of the nature of ligules (‘Ziingelchen”) than true cirri, on 
account of their position and form. This view, however, seems 
to me to be quite unnecessary. The cirri have the position, size, 
and shape of true cirri, and in their cytological structure they 
also agree. (I have compared the sections with those of Lepto- 
nereis from Plymouth, which possesses typical nereid parapodia ; 
the only cytological difference between the ligules and cirri in 
Leptonereis is in the presence of numerous blood-capillaries in 
the former, and their absence in the latter; otherwise they 
both consist of epithelial tissue and large glandular cells. The 
