230 MR. A. T. WATSON ON THE STRUCTURE 
On the Structure and Habits of the Polycheta of the Family 
Ammocharide. By Anyoup T. Watson, F.L.S. 
{Read 20th December, 1900. | 
(PLatEs 23-25.) 
Ir is a somewhat curious fact that, although the members of this 
interesting family of tubicolous Polycheta are widely distributed, 
and some of them abundant, upon the British shores, they have 
thus far received comparatively slight notice at the hands of 
British naturalists. Yet almost sixty years have elapsed since 
Delle Chiaje first brought these worms to light, and figured a 
specimen in some detail, to which he assigned the name Owenia. 
During those sixty years, contributions towards a full descrip- 
tion have, from time to time, been made by Grube, Koller, 
Claparéde, von Drasche, McIntosh, Cunningham and Ramage, 
Gilson, Lo Bianco, and Ogneff, all of which have been ably 
summarized by de Saint-Joseph in his ‘ Annélides Polychetes 
des Cétes de France.’ Nevertheless, as much remains to be 
learnt of their structure and habits, the following notes may 
perhaps be regarded in part as supplementary to Prof. Gilson’s 
paper, since it was on his suggestion (27. p. 381) that I have 
paid special attention to certain of the points hereinafter men- 
tioned. They are the result of observations extending over a 
period of about three years, some of which were made at the 
Marine Laboratory at Port Erin, whose Director, Prof. Herd- 
man, has rendered me most valuable assistance ; the larger part 
at Sheffield, on specimens obtained from the coasts of Lancashire 
and North Wales; and also on foreign specimens, both living and 
preserved, for which I am indebted to Doctors Dohrn and Lo 
Bianco, of the Zoological Station at Naples. 
I also acknowledge, most gratefully, my indebtedness to my 
friend, Dr. Fauvel, for valuable advice on points of technique 
and bibliography. The methods of research described in his 
admirable work, ‘Les Ampharétiens, have frequently been 
useful to me. 
In the absence of an English description of the Ammocharide 
(a family created by Grube), it will perhaps be well, in the 
first. place, to give a general account of their characteristics, 
embodying my own observations with those of other naturalists, 
