324 MR. CyRIL CROSSLAXD ON THE [Feb. 16, 



specimen would attain to a length of 600 mm. at least, though 

 accurate measurements were rendered difficult by the impossibility 

 of extracting a complete specimen from so long and tortvious a 

 burrow. An incomplete specimen in spirit measured 3 mm. in 

 width and 150 mm. (compi-ising about 225 segments) in length, 

 and yet none of the gill-region is present. 



The colour of the living animal, but i-oughly noted by Clapai-ede 

 and Ehlei's, is somewhat variable. The first thii'd or so of the 

 body-length is of a dirty opaque white, the gill-i-egion is slaty- 

 blue or dviU green, a tint w^hich appeared to be due to that 

 of the gut, and finally the posterior part is white again. The 

 tentacles are white, but the prostomium and peristomium are 

 light brown, Avhich tint usvially soon dies -Out. There is often a 

 band of opaque white pigment between the bases of the nuchal 

 cirri, aiid the brown parts may or may not be covered with small 

 white dots. In a lai-ge specimen dredged in Wasin Harbour, the 

 brown coloration, in life, was quite unifoi'm, and extended over 

 neai'ly the whole of that part of the body which is usually whitish. 

 In some specimens the prostomium and buccal segment are very 

 dark brown, almost black. As noted by Ehlers, the white body- 

 pigment becomes a yellow- brown in spirit ; but some specimens, 

 lai'ge and small, ai-e now nearly colourless. 



A complete account of the anatomy and pi-incipal variations 

 of this form may be found in Ehlers's ' Borstenwiirmer ' and 

 Claparede's ' Annelides du Golfe de Naples.' Grube, in the 

 ' Annulata Semperiana,' i-emarks on the variation in distribution 

 and size of the gills (which in some of the Philippine specimens 

 were longer than in those of the Mediterranean) and in the pro- 

 portions of pro- and peristomia, these facts being the same for 

 the specimens from the eastei'n side of the Indo- Pacific Ocean, 

 Finally, Gravier redescribes the species under the two names 

 siciliensis and valida ; and Ehlers describes very fully a very nearly 

 allied species E. leucoclon *, giving figures, of which nos. 1, 4, and 

 10, of the general body form and the lower jaws, sei-ve excellently 

 for this species. 



Gi'avier separates his Red Sea specimens into two species, 

 naming a single small example jE. siciliensis. while foi- the rest he 

 institutes the new name E. valida. The difierences upon which 

 this distinction is based are (1) the length of the gills, which is 

 propoi'tionately about three times as great in the latter as in 

 the former ; (2) the pi-oportions of the head ; (3) the presence 

 of pigment in the anterior part of the body of E. valida. All the 

 specimens seem to have been small, the single colourless siciliensis 

 individual having a maximum breadth of only 2 mm. The feet, 

 setee, and jaws are absolutely identical in both. An examination 

 of the large number of specimens contained in these two collections 

 shows conclusively that these points are variable in the sjoecies, 



* Polj'cliaiteu des magellanischei} und ehilenischen Straiides, p. 128, fig's. 1-10. 



