MELINNA ELISABETHS. 87 



Synonym. 

 1914. Melirma elisabethse, Mcintosh. Ann. Nat. Hist., ser. 8, vol. xiii, p. 106. 



Habitat. — In the stomach of the haddock and flounder, St. Andrews Bay (E. M,). 

 Abundant in the Fjords of Norway, where it was collected by Canon Norman and Hessle. 



The specimens of this species were first obtained in Britain by my mother in the 

 stomachs of haddocks, and consequently the external configuration was altered. The 

 presence of the same form in Norwegian waters (dredged by Dr. Merle Norman) enables 

 a more satisfactory description to be made. 



The head and anterior region, while formed on the general plan of M. cristata, have 

 proportionally longer branchiae and tentacles. The cephalic border anteriorly has a 

 slight notch and two lateral eminences, the tentacular plate and the tentacles being often 

 pushed beyond it. The tentacles are remarkably long, and the mouth forms a gaping 

 aperture beneath them, at the end of the bluntly conical region. 



The branchiae arise from two basal processes where they are fused, and they are 

 longer and more distinctly tapered than in M. cristata. Moreover they do not lend 

 themselves to a transverse division into an anterior and a posterior pair as in M. cristata. 

 The outer and more slender branchia separates readily to the base, and the next to it 

 posteriorly nearly as far, but the two inner (the one in front of the other) are united for 

 a considerable distance above the base. Their arrangement therefore differs from that in 

 M. cristata. The dorsal collar stretches in the same manner as in the latter, but the free 

 edges of the two differ, for instead of the very large, regular, conical processes of 

 M. cristata this form has smaller conical processes often in groups of three (Plate CXIX, 

 fig. 2), and there is less regularity. The edge of the collar thus differs under a lens, and 

 the collar is often narrower from side to side. In front of the denticulated collar a 

 distinct conical process passes forward to the space between the branchiae. On the ventral 

 surface again the body-collar has not the prominent lateral edges seen in M. cristata. 



The post-branchial hooks are diagnostic, and their position is the same as in 

 M. cristata. They have a broad, almost ovoid flattened shaft, the base of which is often 

 oblique. Anteriorly it somewhat abruptly narrows, and is boldly curved forward as a 

 rounded, tapering and apparently solid hook (Plate CXXV, fig. 2 a) with a sharp point. The 

 broad shaft is marked by fine longitudinal lines which are continued beyond the curve 

 and toward the tip of the hook, and also shows slightly curved cross stride which pass 

 forward to the neck of the hook and then cease, the tip being homogeneous and clear. 

 It is moved by powerful muscles attached to the shaft. The concavity of the hook has a 

 thick layer of chitin, but no canal could be made out. Such a hook differs from that of 

 Melinna cristata in outline and structure as well as in the absence of the canal at the tip. 



The bristles (Plate CXXV, fig. 2) have the same structure as in M. cristata, viz., 

 translucent, striated shafts and winged, tapering tips, and they are accompanied by the 

 shorter series as in the previous form. The hooks (Plate CXXV, fig. 2 b) resemble those 

 of the other species, but whilst in M. cristata they often show five teeth, in M. elisabethse 

 four is the usual number, and the curves slightly differ. 



The tube of A this form consists of tough secretion coated with a little mud, and having 

 fragments of shell attached here and there by the edges. The gastric juice of the fishes 

 does not seem to affect the tubes much, though their inhabitants are rapidly softened. 



