OCR Text |
Show 1868.] DR. W. BAIRD ON THE GEPHYREA. 81 cept at the thickest portion. The extremity of the proboscis, containing the tentacular filaments, in the only specimen -we possess, is withdrawn completely, so that it cannot be seen. The body is of a subcylindrical form, and is roughly clathrate, the longitudinal ridges being close set, and the circular strife cutting rather deep, and forming, as it were, small tubercles along the longitudinal ridges, which are especially prominent near the base of the proboscis. In several places it is very much constricted, the constricted parts in one or two places being very narrow*. The caudal extremity is of an oval slightly inflated form, and densely roughened with crowded small tubercles. The general colour of the body is brown, the small dots or tubercles on the proboscis being of a deeper hue. Hab. Sir Charles Hardy's Island, North Australia (.7. B. Brookes, Esq.). B.M. 11. SIPUNCULUS AENEUS, sp. nov. Corpus cylindricum, gracile, antice attenuatum, postice crassius, fusiforme, reticulatum, in parte anteriore corrugatum, deinde leevius et minute granulatum, apice caudali ovali, leevi, lucente; proboscis brevis, Icevis, parte anteriore corporis crassior; color albus, ceneo lucens. Longit. corporis 6| une ; crass, part, anter. 1 h lin., part, posterior. 4 lin. ; long, probos. 6 lin., crass. 2 lin. The proboscis' in this species is much thicker than the upper or anterior part of the body; so that it is difficult to imagine how the animal could withdraw it within its body, and " where it could pack it," as Professor Forbes says of another species. It is smooth-looking, but when examined with a glass we see it ringed or annulated and finely reticulated. The oral cirri or tentacles are not visible in the only specimen we possess. The body is slender, ringed, the rings or annulations being very close together, small, and finely but distinctly reticulated across. The upper extremity is strongly corrugately reticulate, the middle portion less distinctly so, and the caudal almost smooth. Scattered over the surface we see a good many small warty-looking tubercles. The upper extremity is narrow, the body gradually enlarging in size as it descends, so that at the caudal extremity it is three times as large as anteriorly, and is of a fusiform conoidal form, the warty tubercles at the same time being larger there than elsewhere. The general colour is nearly white, except towards the caudal extremity, where it is very shiny with an iridescent metallic lustre. Hab. New Zealand (Mr. Cuming's Collection). B.M. 12. SIPUNCULUS EXIMIO-CLATHRATUS, sp. nov. Corpus cylindricum, infra medium coarctatum dense clathratum, ex-tremitatibus inflatis, leeviusculis, iridescent ibus,- proboscis crassiuscula, muricata; color griseus. Long. 2h une ; crassit. in medio 3 lin., ad extremitates 5| lin. * This may, to a considerable extent, be produced by the spirit in which the animal has been immersed. PROC. ZOOL. SOC-1808, No. VI. |