x PREFACE. 
Calcutta, Major Elwes, the late Prof. G. Brady and others have also courteously sent 
various specimens. Hxtended investigation further demonstrates the world-wide dis- 
tribution of many species. | 
Abroad, the recent labours of Professors Caullery and Mesnil, of Professors Pruvot 
and Racovitza, of Prof. Fauvel, of M. Malaquin, of Prof. Roule, of Prof. Ehlers of 
Gottingen, the late Prof. Appellof of Bergen, Prof. Nansen of Christiania, Professors 
Arwidsson, Théel and Wirén of Sweden, of Tauber and Leyvinsen of Copenhagen, of Dr. 
Horst of Leyden, Prof. Gilson of Louvain, Dr. Marenzeller of Vienna, and the fine mono- 
graphs of Dr. Hugo Hisig, have been valuable. The work of Panceri, Lo Bianco, Carazzi, 
Bernardi and others in Italy is also noteworthy. The researches of Messrs. Webster 
and Benedict, of Parlin Johnson, Aaron Treadwell, Percy Moore and Miss Bush in the 
United States of America have notably advanced the subject, as also those of Dr. Whiteaves 
and Mr. Chamberlin in Canada, and Sig. Rioja in Spain. The work of Prof. Haswell of 
Sydney, Prof. Benham of Otago, and the collections of Prof. Gilchrist at the Cape, have 
all been of signal service. 
Occasionally a quotation is made from a separate copy of a paper which differs in 
pagination from the original as it appeared in a journal or in the transactions of a society. 
This could easily be obviated by keeping the original pagination in the reprint, as many 
publishers now do. 
I have to acknowledge the help of Mr. White, the Librarian of the Royal Society, 
the late Mr. Riseley of the Linnean Society, the late Mr. Waterhouse and Mr. Martin 
Duncan of the Zoological Society, of Dr. Maitland Anderson and Mr. Smith of the Uni- 
versity Library, St. Andrews, all of whom, with a ready courtesy, have for years helped. 
No classification of the Polycheta hitherto published is satisfactory, the most 
reasonable being that adopted by Malmgren, and which has been followed in this 
monograph. 
It may be explained that throughout the work the initials H. M. refer to the author’s 
mother, who, whilst he was for many years sixty miles from the sea, enabled him, by a con- 
stant series of specimens, to work up the marine annelids as well as the general fauna of 
St. Andrews, most of these specimens being now im the St. Andrews University Museum. 
The initials R. M. refer to his sister, fellow-worker and artist (afterwards Mrs. A. 
Gunther), and A. M. and EH. M. to two other sisters who helped him with specimens for 
many years. In this connection it is interesting to note the change which has taken place 
in the ways of the fishermen, from whom the foregoing procured many rare marine 
animals. In former days the lines were brought ashore in baskets with all the faunistic 
treasures attached, and these could be picked out by those interested—if they were not 
already set aside by the men themselves. Now nets have largely superseded lines, and 
these are gone over in the boats in the harbour so that they come less under the eyes of 
the naturalist. Yet rare fishes or abnormalities in fishes are still brought under notice by 
the men. It is curious that the curtailment of line-fishing or a change of ground no 
longer gives, for instance, the strange sight of many glutinous hags swimming in the 
harbour after removal from the lines, the hook being still fixed in each, and no longer 
brings to shore the swarms of Pelonaia and multitudes of the phosphorescent Pennatula, 
as well as many rare annelids and mollusks. 
