308 EVENINGS AT THE MICEOSCOPE. 



tude of secreting warts or glands, somewliat like tlie 

 papillaa wMcli stud the tongue in higlier animals ! 

 The extremity, which is perforated, is surrounded by a 

 muscle, by means of which it contracts forcibly on 

 whatever it is applied to, and thus holds it firmly, while 

 the re-inversion of the sac drags it into the body to be 

 digested. 



But this huge proboscis disappears as rapidly and 

 as wonderfully as it was revealed. Commencing at 

 what is now the outer extremity, which is quickly 

 turned in, the whole swiftly returns to its cavity in the 

 inverse order to that in which it was extended ; and 

 now that it is all engulphed, we marvel that so vast a 

 sac can be packed away in so slender a case. 



In this intsance the armature of the proboscis is 

 feeble ; but we have species which are very elaborately 

 armed. There is a minute species of Zomhrinereis, 

 which commonly appears in our aquaria after they have 

 been some time established, and breeds in vast numbers 

 on the floccose matter that clogs the bottom and sides. 

 In this tiny "Worm there is a formidable array of jaws, 

 resembling black hooks, which we may discern through 

 their pellucid tissues, snapping and cutting viciously 

 like so many pairs of hooked scissors. Though I have 

 often had this little species in my tanks in copious 

 abundance, I regret to say I cannot find any at this 

 moment for our examination, and shall therefore content 

 myself with translating for you MM. Audouin and 

 Milne-Edwards' description of the jaws as they appear 

 in a closely-allied form, but of far greater dimensions, 

 Jikinice. 



" The proboscis is not very protrusile ; when it is 

 withdrawn its external orifice is longitudinal, and the 



