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Show 196 MR. F. E. BEDDARD ON EARTHWORMS [Jan. 14, It is early, of course, to lay down any general statements; and were it not that Mr. Perkins has collected so many species and in most cases so many individuals of each species, I should have contented myself with a plain description of fact and should not have ventured upon comment. It may be permissible, however, to indicate the " Oriental " facies of the fauna and the absence of very peculiar types. The latter statement, in fact, appears to hold good generally for oceanic islands, so far as our imperfect data enable us to speak. It argues their really oceanic origin and their short existence. Even in Kerguelen and Marion Is., which are remote from traffic and can hardly have been stocked by human means, the one known species, Acanthodrilus herguelarum, is only specifically different from the Earthworms most nearly allied upon the adjoining maiulauds. And these islands are possibly among the most ancient of oceanic islands. Allolobophora fceticla, Sav. Numerous examples of this widely distributed species from Halemanu, Kausi. Allolobophora caliginosa, Sav. Hab. Waialua, Oahu. Allolobophora putris, Sav. There are a large number of examples of the variety " arborea " (smaller, and with tuberculapubertalis only upon xxix.& xxx.),which Rosa believes to be identical with Kinberg's "Hgpogazon havaicus." Its occurrence, therefore, is not a new fact. Hab. Molokai, and Kawailoa River, Oahu. Pontoscolex hawaiensis, n. sp. Of this apparently new species some 8 or 10 examples were collected. The length of a fair sized specimen is 142 m m ; the breadth at the clitellum 4 mm., elsewhere rather less. The number of segments is rather more than 210; after the 128th segment is an oval swelling upon the body 3 m m . long and commencing about 90 m m . from the anterioi end; this is the structure which has been described in other species, and regarded as a growiug point. This modified region of the body appears to be constant in position; this is shown by the following measurements of two individuals:- A. B. Length of body in front of " growing region " 90 80 Length of body behind " growing region" 47 40 The intestine proper appears to begin at the end of the clitellum; there is here a distinct circular valve, and the intestine has a distinct typblosole projecting into its lum en. The calibre, however, is not greater. The setae of this species are, as in Rhinodrilus, ornamented |
