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Show 212 MR. F. E. BEDDARD ON NEW EARTHWORMS. [Mar. 19, the temperate part of South America as is tbe genus Acanthodrilus. I cannot see any way out of referring Eisen's recently constituted genus Deltania to Microscolex, a point which I enter into later. It seems, however, judging from the information at hand, that the headquarters of Microscolex are the more southerly parts of South America, and that it gradually dies out as we get north, finally disappearing in North America. The very small number of genera coupled with the large number of species is a remarkable feature of the earthworm fauna of the temperate part of South America. U p to the present we are only acquainted with four genera, viz. Acanthodrilus, Kerria, Perichceta, and Microscolex (leaving aside the Lumbricidae as a foreign importation), from this part of the world. Among temperate countries, N e w Zealand forms a contrast; it possesses certainly six, if not more, distinct genera. I shall now proceed to treat of the different families seriatim. Fam. AcANTHODRILIDvE. This family, as already remarked, is represented in the collection by two genera only-Acanthodrilus and Kerria. The latter genus is represented by three species, of which I regard two as new. This genus, recently constituted by myself for a small aquatic species from the Pilcomayo and for Eosa's Acanthodrilus spegazzinii, has been increased by the addition of two new species from California. It therefore ranges through the South-American and part of the North-American continent. It appears to be rather a tropical form; Buenos Ayres and Valparaiso seem, so far as our present knowledge goes, to mark its southern limit. It is one of those genera that are both aquatic and terrestrial in habit. Acanthodrilus is represented by a large number of species in South America. Altogether we are acquainted with the following, of which the names of those collected by Dr. Michaelsen are printed in italics :- 12. Acanthodrilus purpureus, n. sp. 13. Acanthodrilus magellanicus, n. sp. 14. Acanthodrilus bicinctus,n. sp. 15. Acanthodrilus minutus, n. sp. 16. Acanthodrilus chilensis, n. sp. 17. Acanthodrilus cingulatus, n. sp. 18. Acanthodrilus putablensis, n. sp. 19. Acanthodrilus carneus, n. sp. 20. Acanthodrilus corralensis, n. sp. 21. Acanthodrilus simulans, n. sp. 22. Acanthodrilus albus, n. sp. 1. Acanthodrilus littoralis, Kinb. 2. Acanthodrilus hilgeri, Mich. 3. Acanthodrilus pictus, Mich. 4. Acanthodrilus dalei, F. E. B. 5. Acanthodrilusplatyurus, Mich. 6. Acanthodrilus georgianus, Mich. 1. Acanthodrilus falclandicus, F.E.B. 8. Acanthodrilus aquarum-dulcium, F. E. B. 9. Acanthodrilus bovei, Rosa. 10. Acanthodrilus decipiens, n. sp. 11. Acanthodrilus occidentalis, n. sp. This part of the world must be undoubtedly regarded as the headquarters of this genus. New Zealand comes next in number of species; but there are only seven referable to the genus as strictly defined. The South-American Acanthodrili do not form a definable section of the genus. They ail agree, however, in having a clitellum |
