The tentacles are carried on prominent basal joints, the median one being larger than either of the others. The median and one lateral were absent in both specimens. The remaining lateral was about 21 times as long as the head, quite uniform in diameter except for a subterminal swelling and acute apex. Tentacular cirri similar in form to the tentacles, but larger and with traces of pigmentation near their ends. The palps are much longer than the cirri, tapering very gradually until near the end, then abruptly narrowing to an acute apex. With high power a few very small papilbe can be seen near the apex. The ventral cirrus of the second somite (first setigerous) and the dor sal cirri of the next somite much like the tentacles in form, but shorter and with less evident subterminal swellings. Later dorsal cirri are successively smaller and throughout the greater part of the body are conical, with acute tip. Of the ventral cirri, all but the first pair are small and conical; the anal cirri are much like the dorsal in form.
Elytra are carried on somites 2, 4, 5, etc., to 23, 27, and behind this two somites are regularly interposed between each pair of elytron-bearing somites.
The first pair covers the head, while succeeding ones are smaller (cf. fig. 12, plate 1, of the first, with fig. 13, plate 1, of the eighth) and because of their small size and transparency they are easily overlooked and may seem to be absent. Toward the posterior end they are larger and cover more of the body, the terminal somites being entirely covered. They are all transparent, but behind the middle of the body each carries a patch of pigment, surrounding the point of attachment of the elytrophore and extending to the inner margin of the elytron. There is a very distinct line between this pigment and the point of attachment, giving the body in this region an ocellated appearance. The elytra all have smooth margins and are oval or round in outline.
The first parapodium (plate 1, fig. 12) cylindrical, very slightly expanded at apex, with presetal and postsetal lobes, the latter much the larger and curved upward at end. Between the two is a single row of stout seta', their apices extending for only a short distance beyond the postsetal lobe. There is no indication of dorsal sets, but two aciculie extend, one into the dorsal part of the parapodium and one into the ventral.
The elytrophore is expanded at the apex, carrying the large rounded, nearly oval, elytron. The ventral cirrus is on a prominent cirrophore and is nearly 3 times as long as the parapodium, abruptly narrowing toward the end to form a slender acute tip.
The second parapodium is very similar to the first in appearance and arrange ment of Bette (plate 1, fig. 14), with a dorsal cirrus resembling the ventral cirrus of the first parapodium. The ventral cirrus has a terminal joint in the form of a narrow cone, about as long as the parapodium. The fifteenth para podium (plate 1, fig. 13) with very small achietous notopodium and a neuro podium much like those of earlier somites, but with a very small elytron. The ventral cirrus of the fifteenth is similar to that of the second. There is a single row of very stout seta and there are aciculn in both noto- and neuro podia. This general form of parapodium is continued to the end of the body, though the anterior and posterior lips of the parapodia become more nearly eqiW, so that the organ when viewed from above has a bifurcated appearance. The nephridial papilla are cylindrical and very prominent.
The seta are essentially alike throughout the body, differing only in the relative size of the different parts. Each has a stout shaft (plate 1, figs. 15 and 16), widening toward the end but narrowing to a pointed apex and with a sharp subterminal tooth. On their dorsally directed surfaces each has a series of alternately arranged plates with their free ends finely toothed. The seta of the dorsal part of the seta bundle have more numerous plates than ventrally, the middle ones being intermediate as regards this character.
One of the two specimens showed an indication of a brown color over the head and bases of the antenna. Somites 2 and 3 were uncolored. From somite 5 to somite 20 the dorsum has a brown band, due to transverse markings in each somite; these are shorter than the somite diameter, so that the margins of the somites above the parapodia appear uncolored, but somites 6, 8, 12, 14, and 20 are uncolored, thus forming interruptions in this band. Behind somite 20 the markings occur only in the elytra-bearing somites.
Collected in the Dry Tortugas in 1914.
Type and cotype in the American Museum of Natural History.
The type specimen was collected at the Dry Tortugas in 1909. I also have specimens collected at St. Augustine, Florida, and loaned to me by Professor Verrill.
The type is 26 mm. long and 5 mm. wide in its widest part, near the middle; from here it tapers toward both ends, but more noticeably so posteriorly than anteriorly. There are 39 somites, and 15 pairs of elytra.