47 90 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



Mature specimens were found in April and ."September. 

 This species does not appear to have been recorded since Greeff' found it 

 at Dieppe, in the oyster-basin of that town, in 1S65. 



Habitat. — Blacksod Bay — Found once on the shore, in weed3. Dredged 



on 2 occasions, in 1-3 fins. Ballyxakill Haeboch— Taken 



in the surface tow-net. 

 Dist r ibut ion . — Dieppe. 



Sphaerodorum minutum (Webster and Benedict). 



PI. IX, figS. 21A-E. 



1887. Ephesia miwuta. "Webster and Benedict, p. 72S. 1913. S.m. Fauvel, 

 p. 6 1. 



This species lias previously been found only at Eastport, on the east 

 coast of the United States, and to the north of Spitzbergen, and has been 

 very inadequately described and figured. In view of this uncertainty a full 

 description of the Irish specimens is desirable. 



Eleven specimens in all are available. I hey are small and broad, 2—3 mm. 

 long, consisting of 17-22 setigerous segments. The ventral surface is flat and 

 narrow, the dorsal surface almost rounded. The head (figs. 21a-b) is narrow 

 in front, and is covered with papillae. On the anterior border are four 

 tentacles, two dorsal and two ventral. The basal portion of the tentacles is 

 covered with cylindrical papillae. Behind the paired tentacles there is a 

 short thick median tentacle. The buccal segment carries a pair of cylindrical 

 tentacular cirri. In some specimens these cirri have a number of cylindrical 

 papillae round the base ; in others these papillae are absent. The head is 

 covered with papillae, in some specimens spherical, in others cylindrical, 

 possibly depending on the state of preservation and contraction. Behind, and 

 dorsal to, the tentacular cirri is a pair of large eyes, composed of lenses and 

 dark reddish-brown pigment. 



Each segment carries a row of 10-12 large globular papillae on the 

 dorsum, in a line with the parapodia. Numerous smaller papillae of various 

 sizes are scattered over the body. There are none of the large papillae on 

 the ventral surface, but only the smaller papillae, arranged in no very definite 

 manner. 



The anal segment (fig. 21c) has two large globular lateral papillae and a 

 long median cylindrical papilla. The anus is on the dorsal side. 



The parapodia (fig. 21d) consist of a rounded setigerous lobe, with a pointed 

 spine, and 4-9 compound setae. There is a large cylindrical ventral cirrus 

 and a similar slightly smaller papilla on the anterior face of the setigerous 

 lobe. In addition there are several spherical papillae on or near the 



