OCR Text |
Show 1868.] DR. W. BAIRD ON THE GEPHYREA. 107 This species, according to the only specimen we have in the Collection, is upwards of five inches in length, and the trunk is about one inch in circumference. It is of an olive colour, the exsertile part of the body, or proboscis, darker than the rest of the animal. This proboscis is large, somewhat club-shaped ; and the ribs, which run down longitudinally, are placed at some distance from each other, and, instead of being roughened with short spines (muricated) as in the other known species, are beset at nearly equal distances with unequal-sized small tubercles, which have a lax spine coming out of the centre. The lower extremity of the body is covered with rather large warts. The tail itself is short; but the papillae which surround it are numerous, rather strong, and terminate in a long sharp point. The teeth (which surround the mouth) are of a pale colour, of tolerable size, spring from a broad base, and have only one (the central) spine, slightly curved inwards. The lateral small teeth, seen in the other species, in this one appear to be altogether wanting. The body is divided into numerous flattened rings, about fifty in number ; the grooves or sulci which separate them are very distinct; and each ring is marked with a fine groove running round the centre ; it is nearly smooth at the upper part, becoming striated as it descends, and is beset very sparingly with sharp spines, which, however, are most numerous posteriorly. Genus 2. HALICRYPTUS*. Halicryptus, Siebold, 1849?; Diesing, 1859 ; Keferstein, 1865; Quatrefages, 1865. HALICRYPTUS SPINULOSUS. Halicryptus spinulosus, Siebold, in Neue Preussische Provincial- Blatter, vii. figs. 8, 9, 1849?; Diesing, Revis. der Rhyngod. in I. c. p. 779, 1859; Keferstein, Beitr. in Nach. kon. Gesellsch. Gottingen, p. 208, 1865; Quatrefages, I. c. ii. p. 599, 1865. Hab. ? Genus 3. CHAETODERMA. Chceloderma, Love'n, Hornschuch, Arch. Skandinav. 1845; Diesing, Revis. d. Rhyngod. 1859; Keferstein, Beitr. in I. c. 1865. Chetoderma, Quatrefages, l.c. 1865. CHAETODERMA NITIDULUM. Chcetoderma nitidulum, Loven, Hornschuch, Arch. Skandinav. Beitr. z. Naturg. i. p. 69, tab., et in Froriep, Neue Notiz. torn, xxxiv. p. 26, f. 43,1845 ; Diesing, Revis. der Rhyng. in I. c. p. 770, 1859; Keferstein, Beitr. in I. c. p. 208, 1865. Chetoderma nitidulum, Quatrefages, I. c. ii. p. 602, 1865. Hab. Coast of Sweden (Loven). * Diesing, followed by Quatrefages, places this genus amongst his "genera minus cognita;" but Keferstein accepts it as belonging to the family Priapulida. |