262 



THE INHABITANTS OF THE SEA; 



CHAP. XIV. 



MAEINE ANNELIDES. 



The Annelides in general. — The Eunice sanguinea. — Beauty of the Marine Anne- 

 lides. — The Giant Nemertes. — The Food and Enemies of the Annelides.— The 

 Tubieole Annelides. — The Kotifern. — Their Wonderful Organisation. — The 

 Synchseta Baltica. 



The class of the Annelides, or annulated worms — to which also 

 our common earth-worm and the leech belong — peoples the 

 seas with by far the greater number of its genera and species. 

 All of them are distinguished by an elongated, and generally 

 worm-like form of body, susceptible of great extension and con- 

 traction. The body consists of a series of rings, or segments, 

 joined by a common elastic skin ; and each ring, with the ex- 

 ception of the first or foremost, which forms the head, and the 

 last which constitutes the tail, exactly resembles the others, 

 only that the rings in the middle part of the body are larger 

 than those at the extremities. The head is frequently provided 

 •with eyes, and more or less perfect feelers ; the mouth is armed 

 in many species with strong jaws, or incisive teeth. The blood 

 is red, and circulates in a system of arteries and veins. 



With the idea of a worm we generally connect that of in- 

 completeness ; we are apt to consider them as beings equally 

 uninteresting and ugly, and disdain to enquire into the wonders 



Nervous Axis of an Annehdan. 



of their organisation. But a cursory examination of the Eunice 

 sanguinea, a worm about two and a half feet long, and frequently 



