here we see it in a very lowly creature, apparently the very same thing, not in degree only, but with as much force as is seen in the Marsupial vertebrata.

More than half the species enumerated by Sir John Dalyell and Dr. Johnston as inhabiting Scotland and the north of England are also found with us. And taking all the species known to inhabit the United Kingdom, viz., 298, the marine and fresh water inclusive, we have out of this number 164 species indigenous to this county and the surrounding seas.

The geographical distribution of these animals is of rather wide extent, not only as a class, but the same species are spread over a wide area. Thus Leptoplana tremellaris is found in Norway and Scotland, on our south coast, and on the southwest of Ireland. Many of the fresh water species have an equally wide range. Mesostoma rostratum, a small species living on the bottom of shallow ponds and ditches. This has a geographical range from Denmark to France, and, so far as is at present known, over most of Europe, and from Scotland to our own county. The limits of the geographical distribution of the members of this family, as here mentioned, must be received for only what it is worth; the subject, so far as I am aware, has never received any particular attention, and the animals themselves, until the last few years, have not been studied with that degree of acumen they so strictly deserve.

But these few hints may serve to show that the Annelids, on the whole, are not much, if at all, influenced by temperature, either the marine or fluviatile species.

The Annelids, as a class, have occupied a place in creation from very early times, beginning, as far as we have evidence to show, in the Lower Silurian Rocks, in which has been found a species of Aphrodita, apparently very nearly allied to our present form, A. aculeata, the common sea mouse, which is abundantly cast ashore during storms on our south coast; and traces of various forms have been found, in more or less abundance, throughout the various geological formations, until a section of the class, viz., the Serpulo, attained a maximum, and seem almost to have predominated in the green-sand and the chalk. From this there is an apparent decline in their abundance, although they still lingered on in considerable numbers through the crag, where we find, for the first time, some of the still existing species.

As before observed, the habits of this class of animals is very obscure, and more particularly in their earlier stages from the egg upwards; but few naturalists have turned their

attention to them, and those that have, generally speaking, looked upon these microscopic organisms as belonging to another group, as their forms, at this early stage, are so very different from the adult. Girard went so far as to assert that the Planarians were naked Gasteropods. Müller, Siebold, Quatrefages, and a few other naturalists, have paid attention to the earlier states of Annelids, and lately Professor Agassis has directed his attention to this branch of the subject with very good results, but his researches have been principally carried on on the shores of North America, and consequently refer mostly to American forms.

I said in the beginning of this paper, that I have endeavoured to verify all the species, as far as possible, that have been enumerated by former writers; and lately I paid a visit to a part of our south coast, in the hope of obtaining and localizing a species of Sabellaria, said by Montagu, according to the reference given in Johnston's Annelids, to have been found on the coast to the west of Teignmouth. I traversed the shore as far as the sea would permit me to do without finding a vestige of the species; after leaving the Ness Point, the rocks between high and low-water mark are as bare as it is possible for them to be; indeed, it is the most barren part of the coast of Devon I have ever walked over. This species, then, must be either struck out of our list: or is it advisable to let it stand with a note of interrogation? If this animal has entirely disappeared from our coast since Montagu's time, some cause must be assigned for its disappearance; the physical features of the shore must have altered, or some other cause at present unexplained. The only other actual locality given in Johnston's Annelids for Sabellaria crassissima is Sandgate, Kent, on the authority of Dr. Leach; it would be well if this locality could be investigated also.

In conclusion, I wish to draw your attention to what I believe to be a new species of Glycera nearly allied to Glycera dubia. The general facies of the animal is that of dubia, only it is larger than that species, and it has the large and peculiar œsophagus, the same as is figured in Griffith's Čuvier. The spines in the lobes of the feet appear also to be the same as in the type. The principal difference is this, and on it its specific identity depends, that on every foot is placed a globose scarlet vesicle, and when the animal was alive, they showed like two rows of bright coral beads, and they appeared to me to be filled with red blood, as if they were used by the animal to aërate the vital fluid. The contrast of these scarlet globes with the pale yellowish feet gave to the worm a very

conspicuous appearance. I forwarded my specimen to Dr. Baird, of the British Museum, who has kindly compared it with specimens of the true Glycera dubia in the collection, but he can find nothing like this, and he says, "Whether these globular appendages depend upon its particular habitat or its breeding time, or whether they constitute a good specific character, I do not feel able at present to determine; it is of importance, however, to notice them in your description of the worm. I therefore propose to name the animal, provisionally, Glycera vesiculosa, the description of which will be found under the head of the genus in the body of the Catalogue.

I have also raised to the rank of a genus a species allied to Nereis, and named N. pennata by Col. Montagu, who figured the animal in his MSS., but did not publish it. It differs from Nereis in the peculiar lobes to its head, and also in the cornuted anterior segment of its body. I have named it D'Orvillea, as a tribute of regard to the gentleman who kindly placed Col. Montagu's manuscripts and drawings in my hands for investigation, when he knew what I was engaged upon.

I may mention here that Colonel Montagu's manuscripts, so frequently quoted in this catalogue, has been presented by Mr. D'Orville to the Linnean Society.

A CATALOGUE OF THE ANNELIDS OF DEVONSHIRE,

WITH NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS,

BY EDWARD PARFITT.

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

Philippi, A., in Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., 14. 1844.
Leach, Dr., in Encyclopedia Brit. Supp. 1824.
Templeton, —, in Loudon's Mag. Nat. Hist.

Montagu, Col., Test. Brit.

Johnston, Dr., Catalogue of Worms. 1865.

Dalyell, Sir. J., Power of the Creator, vol. ii. 1853.

Montagu, Col., Manuscript Drawings. 1815.

Fleming, J., Brit. Anim. 1828.

Cuvier, Baron, Anim. Kingd., by Griffith. 1833.

Gosse, P. H., A Year at the Shore. 1864.

A Naturalist's Ramble on the Devonshire Coast. 1857.
The Aquariam. 1854.

Gmelin, J. O. F., Systema Nature.

Montagu, Col., in Linn. Trans.

Baird, Dr., Monog. of Aphroditacea, in Linn. Socy. Journal, vol. viii. 1866. Lankester, E. R., in Linn. Trans., vol. xxv. 1866.

Donovan, E., British Shells. 1799-1803.

Turton, Dr., Conchological Dictionary. 1819.

Dictionnaire des Sciences Naturelles. 1816-1830.

Ross, F. W. R., MSS. in Albert Mem. Museum, Exeter.

Class, ANNELIDS, Lamarck.
Order I., TURBELLARIA, Ehrenberg.
Sub-Ordo, PLANARIEA, Duges.
Fam., PLANOCERIDÆ, Ehrenberg.
GEN., LEPTOPLANA, Ehrenberg.
Eyes in two clusters.

TREMELLARIS, Müll.

Zool. Dan. i. 36, t. 32, f. 1, 2.

South coast of Devon, Col. Montagu.

Var. a. Dusky brown; in other respects the same as the

FLEXILIS, Dalyell.

Pow. Creat. ii., t. 14, f. 17-26, p. 102.

Exmouth, under stones between tide marks; not common. The eyes in my specimens were arranged like those in Sir J. Dalyell's plate 14, f. 33, P. atomata, but they were divided by a distinct white spot. This creature has a peculiar movement—a kind of lateral motion; that is, when it wishes to move, one side of the anterior portion is pushed forward, and then the other alternately, so that it appears as if it were divided into two lobes in front.

ATOMATA, Müll.

Zool. Dan. i. 37, t. 32, f. 3, 4; Mont. MSS. 239, t. 51.

Taken by dredging on the South coast, and under stones at Exmouth, in rock pools also in the North. It varies from pale yellowish to reddish brown, frequently maculated with brown ocelli-like spots, somewhat regularly disposed, and leaving the dorsal line free. When confined in a glass vessel, the movements are exceedingly rapid, and it has the habit of curling up its anterior extremities into ear-like lobes; these are kept constantly in motion, and, as it were, lashing the water.

VITTATA, Montagu.

GEN., EURYLEPTA, Ehrenberg.

Lin. Trans. xi., t. 5, f. 3, p. 25; Mont. MSS. p. 241.

Amongst rocks on the South coast; rather rare.

Var. a. With central line deep orange, and the yellow parts in general more inclining to orange.

Var. b. Without any yellow; the ground colour white, with the usual black markings. (Montagu.)

NIGRA, Müll.

Fam., PLANARIADÆ, Duges.

GEN., POLYCELIS, Ehrenberg.

Zool. Dan. iii. 48, t. 109, f. 3, 4.

In ponds and ditches, apparently generally distributed. This and the following are found in the same places, and might at first sight be taken for varieties of each other; but it will be observed that this has the head more rounded, and the auricular expansion more developed.