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Show 156 MR. F. E. BEDDARD ON WORMS [Feb. 1 6, very conspicuous coloration, illustrated in Plate IX. (fig. 4). The specimens were all received alive from Kew Gardens ; they were brought to K e w in Wardian cases from Barbados and from Hong Kong ; it may be that the specimens from the two localities were accidentally mixed, but the fact that each box contained another and a distinct species in each case is against the supposition that there had been an accidental transference of specimens from one box to another. The occurrence of the same species of Perichceta in two such widely-separated regions of the World is interesting, but it is not the only instance seen in this genus; both Perichceta indica and Perichceta houlleti have been recorded from the tropics of both the New and the Old World. The accompanying drawing (Plate IX. fig. 4) illustrates the coloration of the species, which varies somewhat in individuals, preserving, however, the same general plan. The body is markedly ringed as in our own Allobophora foetid a'; there are alternate bandsof olive-brown and pale brownish yellow ; in the individual figured the darker bands are of a more distinctly green colour than in other specimens. When treated with Perenyi's solution the green, both of the greener and browner individual, became very much brighter and more distinctly green, and was finally dissolved out when the worms were transferred to alcohol. This change of colour appears to be due to the acid in the Perenyi's fluid, as it was not produced by alcohol alone. This species is extremely strong and active and it is most difficult to catch ; the buccal cavity is protruded when the animal is moving, as in all other species of the genus that have been examined in the living condition. The length is 70 m m . by 4 m m . in breadth1. Number of segments 86. The clitellum occupies the usual three segments, beginning and ending sharply. There are no setae upon it. The oviducal pore is single and median upon the xivth segment. The atrial pores are not prominent; they are transversely elongated slits upon the xviiith segment. There are no genital papillce. The intestine commences in segment xiv.; it has the usual pair of caeca. There are, as in most species of Perichceta, especially thick tufts of nephridia on the septa in front of segment vii. The ventral blood-vessel is not enclosed by the sperm-sacs. The spermathecce lie in segments vii. and viii.; each has a diverticulum bent upon itself three times. The atrium has a large terminal sac. I am not quite certain whether to identify this species with Perichceta sumatrana or whether to regard it as new. The diverticulum appears to be somewhat different in form, but this may perhaps be accounted for by the distribution of the spermatozoa in the pouch. 1 Another specimen measured 3 inches and consisted of 93 segments. |
