PHYLLODOCE MACULATA. 91 



pale, but towards the latter half of the body the increase of the pigment renders them 

 more conspicuous, especially from the dorsum, as dull greenish processes. A slight change 

 occurs after immersion in spirit, and the minute structure of the dorsal cirrus is rendered 

 indistinct ; but the alteration is not so great as might be anticipated. Besides, to remove 

 a foot from a living specimen seriously cripples it and leads to its destruction, and the 

 operation (by no means simple in an entire form) usually results in crushing the foot. 



An interesting abnormality was found at St. Andrews, viz., the presence of five anal 

 cirri (Plate LVIII, fig. 24). On the left are a small pair of cirri, posteriorly two larger, 

 whilst a single very large cirrus occurs on the right. So far as appearances go, such 

 would seem to indicate a tendency to form buds. It was observed by my sister 

 (Mrs. Grunther) while collecting a number for her coloured drawing. 



Reproduction. — The ripe females (June 18th) undergo a considerable change in 

 colour due to the development of the green ova internally. The early development of 

 the ova, which are of a fine green colour, and which are deposited in a somewhat bulky 

 gelatinous mass, and the early larvas, have been described and figured 1 to the advanced 

 trochophore stage, and by Alexander Agassiz 2 to a somewhat later stage. 



Garstang gives January and February as the breeding period of this form at 

 Plymouth, so that if correct it is much earlier than at St. Andrews. 



It is very active, and hides in fissures and crevices into which the long, flattened, 

 mobile body fits easily. The flattened snout is pushed hither and thither, while the 

 pliable tentacles and tentacular cirri are readily doubled with safety. 



This is the Nereis maculata of Montagu (1808) in the MS. volume of drawings in the 

 possession of the Linnean Society, Plate XIX, fig. 3. 



Malmgren considers that Johnston's P. maculata belongs to a different species, but 

 there is no reason to believe that the British author referred to any other form than the 

 present. The specimen in the British Museum, from Berwick Bay, has been dried, and 

 therefore the characters are indistinct, but it approaches the ordinary form most closely. 

 So far as can be observed, there is nothing in the original description and figures of 

 0. F. Miiller 3 to show that he alluded to another species. CErsted considered that Johnston 

 referred to his form, and therefore the views of De Quatrefages, who instituted the 

 separate species, Phyllodoce OErstedii* for (Ersted's annelid, and those of De St. Joseph, 

 who thought that (Ersted's form, while agreeing with the P. citrina of Malmgren, differed 

 from Johnston's, appear to be doubtful. 



It is possible that the Phyllodoce attenuata of Carrington 5 (1865) is to be referred to 

 this species. It is more difficult to say to what form his P. clava is to be relegated. 



Grube (Schles. Gresell, 1879) notes that perhaps Johnston's species and the Eidalia 

 quadricornis of (Ersted 6 (which may have only four tentacles) are forms pertaining to 

 Anaitis, but it is more probable that such is a misapprehension. 



1 ' Ann. Nat. Hist./ ser. 4, vol. iv, p. 104, 1869. 



2 'Ann. Nat. Hist./ ser. 3, vol. xix, p. 240, 1867. 



3 'Naturges. Wurm-Arten/ p. 156, tab. x. 



4 'Annel./ ii, p. 139. 



5 'Annel. of Southport/ 1865, p. 5. 



6 'Annul. Dan. Consp./ p. 28. 



