POLYCILETA. 
By W. B. Bbnham, M.A. (Oxon.), D.Sc. (Lond.), F.R.S., F.N.Z.Inst., Professor of 
Biology, University of Otago, New Zealand. 
With Six Plates and a Map. 
INTRODUCTION. 
The Polychaet fauna of the Antarctic and Sub-antarctic regions is perhaps as well known 
as that of any other region, with the exception, it may be, of that of the North Sea and 
Mediterranean, which has been studied intensively by numerous zoologists for nearly 
a century. 
In defining the extent of the Antarctic region I follow Ehlers, who includes not 
only the shores of the land-mass, but those islands which lie to the south of the outer¬ 
most limit of the drifting sea-ice; thus the islands of South Georgia and Bouvet are 
included, while the Falkland, Crozet and Kerguelen Islands belong to the Sub-antarctic 
region. 
The various expeditions to these high southern latitudes have brought back a 
considerable number of worms, many of which, indeed the majority, are confined to 
these two regions. 
During the voyages of the “ Eugenie” (1851-1853), of the “ Challenger” (1873- 
1876), of the “Gazelle” (1876), and of the “Valdivia” (1898-1899) more or less 
extensive areas of the oceans were explored, but the Sub-antarctic region was visited 
only incidentally. To Kinberg we owe the foundation of our knowledge of the worms 
of this Notial region since the “ Eugenie” visited Kerguelen and the Magellan Strait 
during its voyage. Other species were added by Grube in his report, while the accounts 
of McIntosh and Ehlers not only extended our knowledge of this region, but for the 
first time contain descriptions of worms from the Antarctic Seas; and these ships 
had been able to explore them to greater depths than had been possible previously. 
Later expeditions, on the other hand, visited the edge of the Antarctic land-mass 
with the express purpose of studying the scientific problems presented by that region 
and these expeditions remained there for many months, so that the naturalists were 
afforded opportunities of making extensive collections of the marine animals living in 
the ice-covered sea. 
