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Show 240 DR. W. B. BEXHAM ON [Nov. 15^ T o k e a *, gen. nov. Characters of the genus.--Chsetae 8, spaced, and more or less equidistant; clitellum girdle-like (13) 14-17 (IB), i.e . covers 4 or 5 segments. Male pore common with that of prostate, in 18th segment. Two pairs of testes in usual segments; two pairs of sperm-sacs in segments 9, 12 ; the prostates are long, tongue-shaped, lie below the gut, close to one another, and extend through several segments, No penial chsetfe. The gizzard in 5 ; no calcareous glands ; last heart in 12 or 13. Micronephric, with meganephore in last few segments. Spenna-thecse two or three pairs, the last in segment 9. Distribution. North Island, New Zealand. 1. T o k e a esc u len ta, sp. n. (Text-figs. 62-67.) This is one of the edible earthworms alluded to in Mr. Best's article as " Kurekure "-as being a specially tasty article of food. As a matter of fact, under this name I find two species recognisable, viz., this and the following. Mr. Best states that it is " a short red or brown worm about 6 inches in length; found in stony places." Of this species I received four individuals. The colour (in formol) is a rather dark purplish-red, paler below ; but the pigment extends further round the body than usual; the anterior end is not perceptibly darker; the clitellum is brown. Dimensions. The largest isdl5 mm. in length ; the one studied is 100 mm. X 6 mm., with 110 segments. The body is cylindrical. Prostomium is epilobic, 1 /2 ; the posterior groove is but feebly developed, but visible when the buccal region is everted. Chcetce: the 4 on each side are nearly equidistant, and when viewed from above both c and d are visible; i. e. d is dorsally placed and c is on the lateral line. In the mid-body aa = bc=cd>ab : dd = nearly 2 aa. In the preclitellar region the gap aa becomes greater and ab rather smaller. Clitellum: this is complete (i. e. girdle-shaped) and well developed over the four segments 14-17, where the interseg-mental furrows are obliterated. The dorsal surfaces of 13 and 18 are also glandular, but the clitellar colouring is not so definite, and, moreover, the gi-ooves 13/14 and 17/18 are deep. Genital jwres, <£'c. (text-fig. 62).-There is a pair of male pores in the 18th segment; each is a small pit,*in a small, oval, pale spot, and from this small pit a little papilla projects up to the level of the body-wall (text-fig. 63). This oval poriferous area is in line with a. Tubercula jmbertatis, in the form of small paired glands, are * " Toke " is the Maori for Earthworm. |