314 MR. CYRIL CROSSLAXD OX THE [Feb. 16, 



observed in tlie Wasin specimens. On taking hold of the worm it 

 wriggles violently, and if not promptly li]3erated into the collecting- 

 jar the free end breaks away and is lost among the seaweed. 

 Though it is necessaiy thus to use care and deftness in handling 

 the Hiring specimens, the woim does not undergo autotomy when 

 di'opped into spiiit oi- corrosive sublimate solution, as would be the 

 case with e.g. some Nemertines. It seems very probable that both 

 colour and the possession of this faculty ai'e pi'otective, though 

 opportunity was lacking of testing this expei-imentally. 



This variety appears to be sufficiently distinct to merit a name, 

 E. antennata var. viridis. 



A fragment of a lai'ge specimen was collected on the shore neai- 

 Mombasa, concerning which, however, I have no notes. 



The Maldivan specimens were collected as follows : — 



One complete specimen, 65 mm. x 3 mm., from 5-7 fathoms 

 in the lagoon of Minikoi Atoll, a fragment of a rather smaUei- 

 specimen from 7-9 fathoms at the northern side of the same lagoon, 

 and a third from bi-eaking up stones on the reef. 



The remaining numei'ous specimens are very small, but one or 

 two millimetres in breadth. 



Oft' Mahlos Atoll, from 23 fathoms, bottom of sand, stone, and 

 weed, one small specimen 2*5 mm. broad. 



Off" Fadiffblu, from 12 fathoms, bottom hard sand and sponge, 

 two small fiugments. 



Ofi' North Male, two small fi-agments fi-om 27 fathoms and one 

 from 20 fathoms, bottom bi'oken shells and i-ubble. 



Fi'om the I'eef at Hulule, Male Atoll, eight complete specimens 

 about 2 mm. wide. 



Small specimens seem to be widely distributed in the Archi- 

 pelago and to be of varied habitat. 



It would hai-dly be possible to I'e-identify this species as that 

 collected by Ehrenbei'g in the Red Sea, wei-e it not that Gravier 

 (l. c. p. 255) in his examination of Polychteta from the same locality 

 redescribes it in a thorough manner, mentioning some of its 

 important vaiiations. As in both cases the specimens examined 

 were veiy small, in spite of their sexual maturity, the presence in 

 these collections of numerous large examples enables me to 

 supplement Gravier'a account in some particular's. 



In the first place, the form described by him as typical in having, 

 like Grube's, smooth tentacular and dorsal cirri is exceptional, these 

 appendages being generally distinctly annulated and occasionally 

 quite moniliform. Of fifty African specimens of all sizes ex- 

 amined with special detail, 36 per cent, had these appendages 

 ver}^ distinctly linged, as in both those from the Maldives and in 

 Savigny's species. In none of these specimens have I seen the 

 peculiar prolongations of the eyes embivacing the base of the middle 

 paired tentacles as figui'ed by Giuviei'. The eye-spots are of a 

 charactei'istic form, like that of the half-moon. 



The form of the body is characteristic, being almost cylindrical 

 anterioily, and though flattened posteriorly remains more or less 



