K. J. Bush — Two genera of tubicolous Annelids. 53 



racic membrane, form of collar, setse and uncini, are found, but 

 only those of specific importance, as comparative size, number 

 of branchiae, comparative length and breadth of setae and num- 

 ber of teeth on uncini, as well as the form of the operculum 

 cap. The form of the tubes from Naples is also accurately- 

 shown in Sowerby's figure 2. 



Lamarck '18, under this name ( Vermilia triquetra), gives 

 three widely separated localities (European Ocean, Mediter- 

 ranean Sea, and Australian Sea),, showing that there must have 

 been three similar but distinct species under consideration, 

 presumably Serpula triqueter Linne from North Atlantic, 

 Serpula triquetroides Delle Chiaje (Philippi's figure F) from 

 the Mediterranean, and variety b from Australia, which does 

 not appear to have been identified with any of the more 

 recently established species from that region. 



As V. rostrata, the first species given by Lamarck under his 

 genus Vermilia, has been found to be a typical Spirobranehus 

 (Blainville '17), the second species would naturally stand for 

 the type and the first named locality as the type locality, thus 

 making Serpula triqueter Linne* (Lamarck in part) the type 

 of the genus Vermilia, and as the triqueter Linne non Lam- 

 ' arck has been correctly referred by more recent authors to the 

 genus Poniatoceros (Philippi '-14), this name becomes synony- 

 mous with Vermilia, but for convenience might possibly be 

 used as a varietal name to distinguish the form having the 

 cluster of spines on the operculum cap, which occurs in the 

 various species. Quatrefages '65 united Poniatoceros and Ver- 

 milia, but extended the limits of this genus to include many 

 distinct genera. 



Among the nine (9) species placed in the genus by Philippi 

 '44, the first ( Vermilia triquetra) only occurs among the eight 

 (8) originally described by Lamarck, so that Philippi's inter- 

 pretation is correct only as far as his species agree with this 

 type. His species differ, however, not only in having the 

 operculum capped by a calcareous or chitinous end, but also in 

 the form of the peduncle, some being simple, stemlike, some- 

 times annulated, others somewhat compressed with conspicu- 

 ous side appendages, as V. triquetra (fig. P), V. elongata (fig. 

 L), V. polytrema (fig. JV), a character apparently not hitherto 

 considered of special interest ; the manner of its attachment 

 to the operculum or the relation of one to the other, which 

 considerably modifies the form of both, is also important. 

 These facts have been either ignored or, as stated by Claparede 

 '70 (p. 523), thought of small importance, until the genus 



* This was erroneously given by the writer '05 (p. 222) as the type of the 

 genus Pomatoceros. P. tricuspis Philippi '44 (not Leuckart '49) was the only 

 species given by Philippi. 



