107 
TAB. LI. 
NEREIS pectinata. 
. Class 6. Vermes. Order 4. Mollusca. 
Spec. Char. Smooth, prismatically coloured. Ten- 
tacula 14 on each side, gold-coloured. Legs 
14 on each side, also gold-coloured. 
This strikingly beautiful and curious animal excited the 
attention of the ingenious Dr. Boys, who was so kind as 
to present me with specimens of it a long time since. The 
tentacula and the peduncles being of a finely golden ap- 
pearance, recall that grand description in the Revelations, 
his feet were like unto fine brass, as if they were burned 
in a furnace.” Whether the inspired writers alluded to 
natural history in their descriptions we do not know ; they 
are however very sublime in some of their comparisons. 
The tentacula appear somewhat solid, but the feet seem 
to be composed of bundles of golden hairs. There are 
numbers of little brown papillae upon what appears to be 
the lip. There are prominent, almost laminated sorts of 
thighs to the feet or bundles of hairs. We could not find 
the organs by which life is sustained such as the mouth, &c. 
The marine animals require much attention to discern 
their functions and manner of living ; but we expect tq 
improve in this kind of knowledge, as the present age is 
laudably inquisitive into such subjects, which can hardly 
