152 



HABITS OF SERPULA. 



the shadow of a person passing by, will have the 

 same effect. It seems evident, therefore, that 

 the serpula must be able to see, although, as yet, 

 no eyes seem to have been discovered. After 

 awhile, however, the creature appears to become 

 partially tame, so to speak, and is less alarmed 

 at a casual movement or shadow. Such at all 

 events was the case with my own specimens, which 

 at first were painfully shy, and avoided all close 

 inspection, but, after a fortnight or so, permitted 

 me to place a lens sufficiently near them to 

 examine the beautiful plumes and stopper. 



This last- mentioned organ is the developed 

 one out of a pair which the creature possesses, 

 the other being very small and not put forward 

 to view. This may remind the reader of an 

 analogous arrangement in the tusks of the Nar- 

 whal ; in which cetacean there are really two 

 tusks, but one only is fully developed, the other 

 lying concealed in the jaw. The beautiful fan- 

 shaped plume is composed of that part of the 

 breathing apparatus which separates the oxygen 

 from the water, and is analogous to the gills of 

 fishes, or the lungs of man. 



If serpulae are kept in an aquarium, they 

 should be closely watched, as they, in common 

 with the sabella and others, have a bad habit of 



