MICROSYLLIS. 159 



De St. Joseph found a male, 4 mm. in length, of thirty-eight segments, with natatory 

 bristles and sperms from the eleventh to the thirty-fourth segment. In a female, 2*40 mm. 

 long, of thirty segments without natatory bristles, the eggs were attached from the eighth 

 to the twenty-second under the ventral cirri by a membrane. Each of the fifteen 

 ovigerous segments had two eggs containing an embryo with a head, three tentacles, and 

 two eyes, three segments furnished with a dorsal and ventral cirrus, a group of bristles 

 with terminal pieces having a simple tip, and a single long simple bristle. The body of 

 the embryo is terminated by an anal segment with two long cirri which are not dilated 

 at the base like the other appendages. Internally is a rudiment of a proventriculus 

 without a proboscis, and a mass of viteHus. They were ready to hatch. 



In another incomplete female without natatory bristles there were twelve older 

 embryos (placed two and two behind the twelfth segment) with seven segments. 



Claparede (1863) pointed out that the fused palpi with the median groove approached 

 Sylline, whilst the enlarged basal region of the cirri and their papilla? reminded him of 

 the condition in Sphmrodorum {Ephesia) and the Siphonostomum villosum of Pathke. He 

 observed cells with rhabdites in the feet, as in Sphserodorum. 



Viguier 1 describes a bud (of fourteen segments) of this species having two large 

 ventral eyes and two smaller dorsal, and with swimming-bristles from the first post- 

 cephalic segment backward. Malaquin thinks that the sexual elements had probably 

 been shed. 



Sphserosyllis ovigera, Langerhans 3 (from Madeira), is entered in the fauna of 

 Plymouth, and Dr. Allen kindly forwarded a preparation (slide) of it. The eyes (Plate 

 LVIII, fig. 19) in this example are more closely arranged on each side, and no ova are 

 visible. So far as could be observed the structure of the foot, the presence of the single 

 slightly curved and pointed bristle, and the structure of the compound bristles all agree 

 with S. hystrix. The skin has numerous papilla?, to which and to the dorsum sand-grams 

 and mud adhere. The perusal of the description and figures of Langerhans does not 

 conduce to greater certainty, for almost all would apply to 8. hystrix, unless the figure of 

 the compound bristle is held to be accurate— viz. with a spine on the convex border of the 

 enlarged terminal region of the shaft. Dr. Allen's example does not show any process of 

 this kind. 



Genus XL VIII. — Miorosyllis, Claparede, 1863. 



The pre-oral and peristomial lobes not separated; only two tentacles. Palpi small. 

 Tentacular and dorsal cirri very small. First segment with only one tentacular cirrus on 

 each side. Body typical in shape, with 17—30 segments. Proboscis as in Syllis, with a 

 tooth in front and a proventriculus. Foot with a small dorsal cirrus; short setigerous 

 region ; bristles with simple tips. No ventral cirrus. 



1 Fide Malaquin, ' Arch. Zool. Exper./ 2 e ser., iv, p. 733 (1885). 



2 'Zeitsch. f. w. Zool./ Bd. xxxii, p. 547, taf. xxxii, fig. 23 (1879). 



