ANNELIDA (BINGED "WORMS). 
79 
-0 
Fig. 36. — Supposed 
Polychseta, from 
coiled tubes of 
the Devonian of 
Canada, a, Spirorbis omphalodes ; 
b and c, Spirorbis arkomnsis. The 
smaller drawings give the natural 
size of the objects (after Nicholson). 
bodies called Nereitopsis, from a supposed resemblance to 
Nereis, one of the Errantia ; some of these fossils, however, if 
not all, probably belonged to the Tubicola. The mass of 
tubes of Serpula advena 
from Caldy Island is of 
Upper Devonian age. Tubes 
referred to Serpula also 
eome from the Carboni- 
ferous limestones of Ireland. 
Spirai'bis (Fig. 36) is fre- 
quently associated with 
plant-remains from the Coal 
Measures ; but some of the 
fossils to which this name 
is given are probably mol- 
lusc shells. The jaws and conodonts found in all these 
Palaeozoic rocks are too small for exhibition. 
The Jurassic rocks contain many different shapes of 
tubes, referred to Serpula when adherent to other objects, to 
Ditrypa when free, and to Galeolaria when in dense clusters. 
Noteworthy examples of the first-mentioned are the tubes on 
a piece of jet from the Lias of Whitby, and those on the 
surface of a coral, Thamnastrea, from the Coral Rag. Similar 
tubes are common in Cretaceous rocks ; the Serpulite Lime- 
stone of Brunswick is formed of them. More interesting are 
the tubes formed of fish-scales, or firuieedles, or other objects, 
found in the English Chalk ; the first-mentioned were 
originally described by Mantell as a fish — Muraena Icwesicnsis. 
One worm seems to have burrowed into sponges, and is found 
as an irregular spiral coil inside hollow flints. In the Wall- 
case the most interesting Mesozoic fossils are those from the 
Kimmeridgian of Solenhofen. Here is a Ewnicites with bristles 
and jaws, and numerous coiled castings known as Lumbricaria 
(Fig. 37), and supposed to be those of worms, though once 
regarded by Agassiz as derived from the intestines of fish. 
Pijrgopolon is a characteristically shaped tube, common at 
the top of the Cretaceous. 
In the British Tertiary series, Serpula Iwptaynna, from tlie 
Barton Beds, should be noticed, for the opercula which closed 
the tubes are preserved, and thus the genus can be more 
accurately determined. The coiled tubes known as Vermetus 
hognoriensis, of which two fine slabs are exhibited in the 
Wall-case, are thought by some to have been formed by a 
mollusc. A large block of Serpula tenuis comes from the 
Gallery 
VIII. 
Table-case 
26. 
Table-case 
26. 
"Wall-case] 
15a. 
Table-case 
26. 
Wall-case 
15a. 
Table-case 
26. 
