tubicen (tubisen)

[L., a trumpeter, Tubicolæ (tu-bik'ō-lē), n. pl. [NL., pl. of tu bicola: see tubicole.] 1. A group of spiders which spin and inhabit a tubular web of silk, often strengthened outside with leaves or other materials; the tube-spinners. Compare Tubitelæ. -2. A group of annelids. (at) In Cuvier's cla ification, the first order of Ann elides, consisting of such genera as Sabella, la, A mph i trite, and Dental i um: thus a heterogeneous a ociation of certain mollusks and worms. (b) Now, the sedentary or tubicolous annelids, or those worms which live in tubes. They comprise a part of the polychæto us annelids, and include several families, as Serpulidæ, Sabellidæ, Tere bellidæ, Amphictenidæ, and others. They are also called Sedent aria, from their habits (as distinguished from Errant i a), and Cephalobran chia or Cap it i branchia, for the reason that the branchial organs are confined to the head or anterior part of the body. These are the proce es which project so conspicuously from the tube. The tubes are of various substance and texture; they may be calcareous secгеtions of the animal, as in the serpulas, or composed of sandy and shelly or stony grit agglutinated together as Cavicorn i a. tubifacient (tu-bi-fa's hient), a. [ bicolous annelid.