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Proceedings of the Royal Society 
cutaneous tissues during its passage. On puncturing the swollen 
anterior end, a copious exudation of a reddish-brown fluid occurred. 
This presented many fusiform and clavate corpuscles, probably 
from the proboscidian fluid ; but there were also a vast number of 
minute granules, of a yellowish colour by transmitted light, though 
reddish in mass, which doubtless belonged to the blood-proper. 
Many of the latter bodies showed a contraction in the middle, so 
as to resemble the outline of a figure of eight. 
In regard to the Annelids Proper, it is found that the northern 
Aphrodita aculeata and Loetmonice filicornis, Kbg., are replaced by 
the southern Hermione hystrix, which occurs in great abundance in 
water from 10 to 20 fathoms in depth. Amongst the Polynoidoe , 
P. areolata , Gfrube, is remarkable in having greatly swollen cirri. 
The dorsal bristles are not very robust, while the ventral are in 
two sets, if the ends alone are viewed, but form a regularly dimi¬ 
nishing series from the dorsal to the ventral surface as regards 
length of tip. The scales are boldly areolated. In this species 
there is a series of well-marked circular muscular fibres towards the 
outer half of the vertical coat of the proboscis. The new Har- 
rptithoe marphysce accompanies Marphysa sanguined in its tube. 
The remarkable forms of the Phyllodocidce and Hesionidce ; the 
great abundance of the Nereides , and the uses of the latter as bait, 
were next detailed. 
The representatives of the Eunicidse are very plentiful. Besides 
the gigantic Marphysa sanguined , there occur Marphysa belli , 
Eunice harassii or norvegica. and Eunice gallica. The allied forms 
Lysidice ninetta and Blainvillea filum are also abundant, and 
impart a character to the fauna of the region. The same may be 
said of Prionognathus Kefersteini and Staurocephalus rubrovittatus. 
Choetopterus norvegicus and other phosphorescent Annelida were 
then examined, and the facts observed in these, as well as in other 
luminous invertebrates were shown to give no support to the Abyssal 
Theory of Light as expounded in the “ Report (1869) of II. M. ship 
‘ Porcupine/ ” 
The structure and habits of the Annelida frequenting muddy 
ground in the Channel Islands, and the examination of those and 
other marine invertebrates elsewhere, exhibited grave objections to 
another theory, lately brought forward by Dr Carpenter (“Porcu- 
