1863.
1864.
1865.
1873.
1875.
1876.
1879.
1886,
1888.
1890.
1891.
Polynoe impar, Claparède. Anat. u. Entwickele 60.
)} „ Kölliker. Kurz. Bericht., p. 15, pi. vi, f. 4—6.
Lepidonotus impar, Johnst. Cat. B. M., 112, pi. viii, f. 3 9.
Evame impar, Malmgren. Nord. Hafs-Ann., 71, Tab. 9, f. 7.
' ‘ „ ■ De Quatrefages. Annelés, 226.
\ .,, Sars. Bid. Christ. Fauna, p. 4.
n McIntosh. Invert, and Pishes, St. A., p. 116.
}) }} idem. Trans. Zool. Soc., ix, 386, pi. lxx, f. 1—3 ; ibid., p. 398.
„ „ . Tauber. Ann. Danic., 81.
,, ,, Marenzeller. Porif., &c., Jan Meyen, p. 11.
„ ,, Giard. Bullet. Sc. Nord, i, 16, with figs.
Harmothoë impar, De St.-Joseph. Ann, d. sc. nat. (7), v, p. 162.
„ „ Malaquin. Ann. Boulon., 18.
Polynoë {Evame) impar, Hornell. Op. cit., 232, pi. ariii, f. 3 and 6.
Harmothoë impar, var. Pagenstecheri, Michaelsen. Polych. Fauna, p. 7, pi. i, f. 1.
}) )} }, ,, De St.-Joseph. Op. cit., 1898, 231, pi. xiii, f. 14—-20.
Habitat.—Everywhere distributed round the British shores—from Shetland to the
Channel Islands, and ranging into the Atlantic to the depth of 690 fathoms, as well as
extending {fide Verrill) to the shores of America, from Cape Cod to the St. Lawrence.
I t occurs not only in purely salt water, but in such lochs as Loch Portan, Lochmaddy,
which receive a stream of fresh water, small examples are likewise found.
Length about an inch. The finest examples in my collection are from the west
coast of Ireland and the Irish Channel.
Head (Plate XXYII, fig. 18) somewhat wider than long, with the usual median
groove, which widens out anteriorly to join the prominent lateral peaks. The eyes are
large and visible from the dorsum, the posterior pair widely apart, and situated immediately
in front of the nuchal collar; the anterior pair, which are scarcely larger than the
posterior, being on the projecting lateral region, and thus little removedvfrom the former,
while they are separated by a considerable interval from the peaks. In an example from
Whalsay, Shetland, the anterior pair of eyes were nearer the posterior than usual. In
those from deep water the eyes are somewhat larger, but forms between tide-marks
show considerable differences in this respect, some having large, others small eyes.
Again, a young specimen 6 or 7 mm. long, procured on a thick mass of Flustra off Fermain
Bav, Guernsey, had no eyes. The median tentacle is of considerable length and strength,
generally of a madder-brown colour, and with a pale dilatation marked off by bars below
the filiform tip. It is rather densely covered with clavate cilia, some of which equal in
length the diameter of the process. The lateral tentacles are inferior, subulate and
tapering, and have numerous short clavate cilia. The tentacular cirri are similar to,
though smaller than, the median tentacle. Palpi of average length—with a tapered
extremity, and densely covered with minute clavate papillae, which occur from the base to
the commencement of the filiform tip. These papillae are proportionally large.
Body moderately elongate, somewhat thin and flattened, the broadest part being
about the anterior third, and thence tapering to the tail. The hue of the dorsum is
greenish-brown, darkest in front, and forming somewhat regular bars and touches along
the back. Some, again, have the dorsum very prettily and symmetrically barred with
brown after the condition in Lagisca. In the cirrigerous segments the arch or band
of pigment in the middle of the body terminates in two small touches of dark olive-
green, and other touches occur at the base of the cirri. Nine or ten of the terminal segments
show these specks on every foot. The proboscidian region is often deeply
pigmented. The ventral surface is pale and iridescent, only a tinge of brown occurring
on the ridge in front of the mouth. A variety from Bressay Sound, Shetland, has the
ventral surface dull olive throughout, with lighter bars, while the dorsum is much
variegated with brownish-olive and dark touches. Rarely the anterior half of the mouth is
dark olive, and a double row of dark touches occurs at each side of the median depression,
while the dorsum is pale madder-brown. In some large examples the elevated ridges
posteriorly show pale olive pigment, which in each segment presents two transverse bars and
a pale centre. The median longitudinal region is pale. In others similar pigment extends
forward to the proboscidian region. The segmental papilla is evident on the sixth foot,
and continues nearly to the posterior end. In size it is comparatively large, though it is
not long, and points between the feet. The body terminates posteriorly in two long
caudal styles, which are much larger than the adjoining dorsal cirri.
Proboscis.—The extruded proboscis shows a range of nine papillas of the usual
dactylozoid shape dorsally and ventrally. No pigment occurs in the centre of these
organs. The pregastric and other caeca follow the arrangement in Harmothoe.
Scales (Plate XXXII, fig. 18) fifteen pairs, in the smaller thirteen to fourteen pairs,
somewhat rough in aspect, mottled with brownish pigment and often with a yellowish
speck in the centre, best marked posteriorly. The first pair are suborbicular, the
succeeding reniform, and the posterior more or less ovoid, though angles are occasionally
formed. The external margin is densely ciliated, the cilia having bulbous tips and
varying in length. Moreover many occur on the neighbouring surface of the scale, and a
few are scattered within the posterior margin. With the exception of the inner and
anterior area the entire surface is covered with small horny papillae, which often increase
into small spines widely scattered towards the outer and posterior borders, while along
the latter are the large pyriform or globular papillae so characteristic of this species.
Some of these occur even on the first scales. The summit of each is occasionally roughly
papillose, or with a series of large conical spines. These large papillae are sometimes
absent,—as, for instance, in those from the tidal region at Lochmaddy, in an example
from 690 fathoms (Station 1, * Porcupine,’ 1870), and in others from Station 6 and outside
Gibraltar, while the cilia along the border are longer. Young specimens, as a rule,
have smaller processes along the posterior border. Malmgren’s figure shows the low
rounded bosses very well. The scales are somewhat thin, and the under surface is
smooth and glistening. The cilia on the scales are frequently overgrown with a granular
parasitic structure.
In a large specimen dredged by Dr. Gwyn Jeffreys off Yalencia the scales were
devoid of tubercles. Considerable variation, indeed, exists, for some of those from Herm
have shorter cilia with more distinctly globular heads, a feature accompanied by smaller
dorsal bristles.
Feet.—The first has a few comparatively short dorsal bristles, slightly curved, and
with closer and finer serrations than the typical form. A very short conical portion at
the tip is smooth.