BRANCHIOMMA VESICULOSUM. 251 
Faminy XXX.—SaseLiina—continued. 
Genus CLXTV.—Brancntomma, Kolliker (Clap. revis.), 1858— continued. 
1. BRANCHIOMMA vEsIcuULOSUM, Montagu, 1815—continued. 
The body is somewhat elongate, a large example reaching 100—110 mm., with a breadth 
of 3—5 mm., flattened, and tapered toward the tail, in front of which some have the widest 
part of the body. At the tip is the crenate anus. The dorsum is rather more distinctly flattened 
than the ventral surface, and has a groove in front leading to the branchial fissure, whilst 
posteriorly it bends to the right between the eighth and ninth bristle-tufts, and slants to the 
posterior edge of the ninth bristled segment. The ventral surface has the somewhat prominent 
median region occupied by the scutes, the first of which, on the united buccal and first seg- 
ment, is the largest, and is characterized by a dimple im front. It is followed by eight others, 
each of which may have an even margin, or a median incurvation. The last of the anterior 
scutes has posteriorly a median prejection to which the boundary line from each side slopes. 
From this point the ventral median groove passes backward to the tail, cutting the succeeding 
scutes into two equal halves, occupying a little more than a third the breadth of the body 
of the preserved specimen, except toward the tail, where the scutes are somewhat broader 
and the median groove is wider. The anterior region has nine segments, with a wider antero- 
posterior diameter than those which follow, whilst these again are wider than the caudal 
segments. 
The colour of the body is dull orange or of a salmon hue, universally and minutely dotted 
with white grains. The dorsal collar is pale, and is also minutely dotted with white grains. 
Ventrally the split flaps are also pale, with a brownish edge—well marked in the anterior 
dimple of the first shield. The ventral scutes are paler, but also minutely dotted with white, 
and the ventral groove is reddish. The cilia of the anterior dorsal surface carry loose bodies 
actively forward. 
The alimentary canal appears to agree generally with that of Lanice conchilega in having 
a simple cesophagus opening into a more or less undifferentiated stomach, the sacculations 
commencing anteriorly and continuing to the anal region posteriorly. 
The anterior region consists of nine segments (six to nine, De St. Joseph), eight of which 
bear pale golden bristle-tufts which slope in the preparations upward and backward. The 
first tuft springs from a setigerous process almost immersed in the tissues of the united first 
and buccal seements, but the posterior cirrus or process is distinct though small. The 
bristles are simple, tapering forms, with very narrow wings (Plate CX XVIII, fig. 4), and in 
two series, viz., a larger series, more deeply tinted yellow by transmitted light, and 
minutely dotted, and a smaller more translucent series. All have finely tapered and 
nearly straight tips. The rest of the setigerous processes of the region are characterized by 
202 
