Polychaetes are very common marine worms belonging to the Annelid family that are of interest to marine biologists and invertebrate zoologists. The book presents an understanding of the biology of this group with many illustrations.

The polychaetes of the Atlantic coast of New England are still imperfectly known. The present study attempts to give as complete a representation of the New England polychaete fauna as is now possible, to systematize knowledge of the polychaete species known from this New England region of the American coast, and to furnish keys designed to facilitate their identification.