| OCR Text |
Show 1886.] DR. A. G. BOURNE ON INDIAN EARTHWORMS. 669 setae point forwards and away from the middle line, while the lateral setae point straight forwards. I lay no stress on this arrangement at present ; it may be caused by my method of flattening out the body-wall after a median dorsal incision. I have no observations with regard to penial setae. Length 130 millim., circumference 8 m m . ; number of somites about 114. Hab. Naduvatam, Nilgiris. Found along with P. gracilis. I hope to make some special observations at a later period with regard to the distribution of these worms, but I may point out now that the only two species presenting this remarkable arrangement of nephridia, while differing in almost all other essentials, were found together. PERICHJETA SALETTENSIS, sp. n. The clitellum extends over somites xiv., xv., xvi., and xvii., and is well marked. The male pores are situated on somite xviii., without much ridge around them. The oviducts open by a median pore in somite xiv. The spermathecae lie in somites vii., viii., and ix.; they present a pair of small appendages. The gizzard is situated in somite vi. I have no observation regarding intestinal caeca. The nephridia occur in, at any rate, most of the somites ; they are very large and present rosettes of tubules in certain anterior somites. The setae present a dorsal gap equal to about three ordinary gaps, and a ventral gap equal to about five ordinary gaps. There seem to be no modified penial setae. Length 70 millim., circumference 9 m m . ; number of somites 112. Hab. Salem, elevation about 1000 feet, in wet ground together with P. bivaginata ; I only found two specimens. PERIONYX SALTANS, sp. n. The clitellum extends over somites xiv., xv., and xvi. In the hitherto known species of Perionyx, P. excavatus, E. P.1, and P. macintoshii, Bedd.2, the clitellum extends over somites xiii., xiv., xv., xvi., and xvii. The male pores are situated on papillae in a median pit in somite xviii. The oviducts open by a single median pore in somite xiv. There are three pairs of spermathecae ; these are placed in somites vi., vii., and viii. The spermathecal pores are placed between somites vi., and vii., vii. and viii., viii. and ix. This is an unusual arrangement, the spermatheca generally opens between the somite in which it lies' and the somite in front. Each spermatheca presents two minute appendices. The spermathecal pores are placed very near the median line ; in all the Perichceta species they are very lateral in position. 1 Nouv. Arch. d. Museum, t. viii. 1872, p. 126. 2 Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., Oct. 1883, p. 217. |
