1887. Hermella alveolata, Mayer. Mifcth. Zool. Stat. Neap., Bd. vii, pp. 723, 731, pi. xxir, figs. 15, 16,
pi. xxiv, figs. 7.—13, pi. xxvi, fig. 28.
1888. „ „ idem. Ibid., Bd. viii, pp. 481,490,494, 496, 507—9, 511, 527,531, 536,548,
562, 576, 579, 581, 590, 594, 635—655.
1890. Sabellaria (Hermella) alveolata, Malaquin. Ann el, Bonlon, p. 48.
1891. ,, alveolata, Hornell. _ Trans. Biol. Soo. Liverp., vol. v, p. 260.
1892. Hermella ,, Jourdan. Ann. Sc. nat. Zool., 7® s6i\, t. xiii, p. 251, pi. vi, figs. 13—16.
1893. Sabellaria ,, Lo Bianco. Atti Accad. Sci. Fis. Mat., vol. v, p. 45.
1894. „ .1 . „ De Sfc(j[oseph. Ann. Sc. nat. Zool., 7® ser., vol. xvii, p. 160.
1898. „ „ idem. Ibid., 8« ser., t. r, p. 405.
1904. j, „ Allen. Journ. M. B. A., vol. vii, p. 232.
1906. „ „ De St. Joseph. Ann. Sc. nat., 9® ser., t. iii, p. 234. '
190$. ,, ,, Fauvel. Ibid., 9® ser., t. x, p. 208.
r„ „ l il iden?. Bull. Inst. Oceanogr., cxlii, p. 20.
,, „ „ Lo Bianco^ Mitt. Zool. St. Neap., Bd. xix, p. 586.
1910. . „ „ Southern. Proc. Roy. Irish Acad., vol. xxviii, p. 243.
,, ,, ,}i Elwes. Journ. M. B. A., vol. xi, p. 66.
1911. „ ,, Riddell. Proc. Liverp. Biol. Assoc., vol. xxv, p. 66.
,, ',, „ Fauvel. Bull. Inst. Oceanogr., No. 194, p. 33.
1914. ,, Southern. Proc. Roy. Irish. Acad., vol. xxxi, No. 47, p. 149. .
'• ,, /V !/ . ,, Fauvel. Campag. Scient. Monaco, Fasc. xlvi, p. 276.
1915. „ ,, Allen. Journ. M. B. A., vol. x, p. 645.
1917. ’ „ „ Rioja. Annel. Poliq. Cantab., p. 42.
jETai/iatfSAbundant in the estuaries of such rivers as the Tees, indeed, it stretches
from Berwick Bay to the south of England, and occurs also on the west coast as
at Southport (Dr. Carrington), Plymouth (Spence Bate and Brooking Rowe), and
the Firth of Clyde (D. ‘Robertson), Liverpool (Prof. Herdman), Plymouth (Dr. Allen),
Luce Bay, "Wigtownshire (Prof. G. S. Brady and D. Robertson),1 between tide marks,
Dublin Bay and West Coast of Ireland (Southern), Torquay (Elwes).
Abroad it extends to the Mediterranean, the shores of France (De Quatrefages, De
St. Joseph, Fauvel), and the Mediterranean (Verany, Panceri).
The cephalic region (Plate CXII, figs. 4 and 4 a) differs from that of S. spinulosa
in the more beautifully regular arrangement of the pale» of the opercular crown, and in
the greater development of the filiform papillae, which form a graceful margin to it, and
are even seen through its translucent marginal pale». The tentacles are richly ciliated,
and the peristomial membrane has a folded anterior edge as it slants obliquely outward
and forward from the ciliated blunt extremity of the prostomium, whilst its membrane
fuses behind it in the pigmented median line (Arnold Watson). This observer also
kindly sent a sketch indicating the currents caused by the tentacular filaments, which
course obliquely inward and backward from the curves or loops on each side of the
opercular pillars, and finally enter the mouth. As the tentacular filaments occur
anteriorly on the inner as well as the outer border of each pillar a very effective
series of currents is thus produced. Mr. Watson found the tips of the papillae beneath
‘ Proc, Nat. Hist. Soc. Glasgow/ 1862,
the opercular paleae furnished with numerous palpocils. Moreover, the shortness of the
firm buccal region posteriorly distinguishes it from S. spinulosa. The sloping inner row
of paleae guard an elliptical central space, at the anterior end of which are the frilled
dorsal margins of the mouth. Arnold Watson specially alludes to the two leaf-like
anterior continuations of the lips which embrace the bases of the buccal tentacles on each
side. He finds the processes beneath the opercular pale» longer in the young than in the
adult, and their tips have a brush of long hairs, less evident in the adult. The lateral
tentacular filaments are eight or nine in number (in the adults ten), and the intervals
between them gradually increase from before backward. The appearances of a young
specimen in which the peristomial lobes were thrown back at a right angle to the body
so as to make the mouth practically terminal suggested to Mr. Watson the view “ that they
may belong to the first and second segments.” The crown is supported on two short and
massive pillars, but they are connate at the dorsal margin, the only differentiation being
a gap in the circle of pap ill» and the central line separating the posterior pale». Looked
at from the face, however, a slight incurvation of the margin is observed dorsally and a
more distinct one ventrally, where the split between the pillars supporting the crown is
very distinct. In this species the marginal papillae surrounding the crown are larger,
longer, and more numerous than in S. spinulosa, and are very conspicuous whether
viewed from front or rear.
The outer pale» form a pale golden, translucent, and regular margin to the crown,
lying almost horizontally, or with a slight slope upward, and presenting a finely notched
continuous edge under a lens. Each palea (Plate OXXIII, fig. 3) is shaped somewhat
like a cricket-bat with a long tapering handle and unequal shoulders, the translucent and
flattened blade being slightly bent at the tip and generally split into five or six
strong curved teeth directed to the front, or that side of the blade with the higher
shoulder and slight concavity in outline. The second tooth, which occupies nearly
the middle of the blade, is longest, and is followed by three or four smaller. The
blade is marked by transverse stri», which are finest on the translucent tip, and a
kind of keel occurs near the higher shoulder, for the shaft is more or less rounded
or angular, whilst the blade is flattened. The blades at the dorsal edge are a little
longer, and their tips show less friction. The middle pale» have slightly shorter
blades, the tips of which are sometimes frayed, and the curve in front differs, in so
far as a tendency to slope backward distally is noticeable. Those at the ventral edge
show the latter feature in a more pronounced manner, the tips are shorter, the teeth at
the tip are longer, less curved, and show the effects of friction. The developing pale»
in the tissues have the teeth connected by a membrane. Arnold Watson notes that in very
young examples the outer pale» much resemble the stout bristles of the thoracic region
of the adult.
The second row, which is nearly horizontal, consists of pale» (Plate OXXIII, fig. 3 a),
with an outline resembling a large heavy foot (the blade) and a slender tapering leg
(the shaft), the heel being comparatively small. The double outline on the part representing
the sole is less marked than in Sabellaria spinulosa, and this outline is nearly
straight, the opposite one being slightly convex. Both slope a little toward the blunt
tip, which is often frayed. The flattened tip is crossed by transverse stri», and the tips