PUGET SOUND NEMERTEANS. 197 



resent valid genera, and, as Verrill ('95) has urged, should, by 

 virtue of priority, supersede those now generally accepted by 

 European writers. Eniplectoiicina is sufficiently well defined, so 

 that '' Sicher ergiebt sich trotz der unvollkommenen Diagnosen 

 dass 49 und 55 mit Eiipolia und 52 {Emplectoneuia) mit Eiuic- 

 incrtcs zusammenfallen." (Burger '952). As Emplcctoncma long 

 antedates Euncnicrtcs (Vailant '90), it should stand for this 

 genus. Similarly Diploplcura is at once recognized as identical 

 with Langia (Hubrecht '79) and has priority. 



Owing to loss of plates and material in the great Chicago fire, 

 Stimpson was unable to publish his detailed descriptions and 

 colored drawings. The Prodi'oimis^ accordingly, together with a 

 brief paper on Chinese and Japanese forms (1855), represents, to 

 the knowledge of the present writer, all the published work upon 

 North Pacific Nemerteans up to date. 



Of the species obtained by the present writer, one {Einplccto- 

 iienia viridc Stimpson) was described in the Prodronms ; the other 

 (^Ei)iplcctoiieina violaceiuii Burger) was described by Burger ('96) 

 from the Chilian Coast, while the remainder do not seem to have 

 been noticed by either. Among the latter is one form of special 

 interest in that its genus, which represents a transitional type, has 

 heretofore been represented by two species only, both of which 

 are very rare. This form ivhic/i occurs abundantly in the Puget 

 Sound region, is a new species of Carinoma. In order, however, 

 to make clear the relationships and significance of Carinoma, it 

 will be necessary to briefly trace the historical development of 

 Nemertean taxonomy. 



One of the most servicable taxonomic systems was that pro- 

 posed by Max Schultze in 1852, which divided the Nemerteans 

 into the well-known Exopla and Axopla, based upon the re- 

 respective presence or absence of calcareous stylets in the pro- 

 boscis. Although this system was generally accepted and 

 adopted in the older text-books, it finally became evident that 

 the mere presence or absence of stylets is no certain indication 

 of affinity. Thus forms are known whose inner organization in 

 other respects conforms to the Enoplous type, yet lack the stylets 

 {e.g., Malacobdella, Pclagoneniertes). Moreover, the Anopla 



Annals N. Y. Acau. Sci., XI, July 30, 1898 — 14 



