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Show 620 MR. F. E. BEDDARD ON THE [May 22, Amyntaspulcher, Michaelsen, Jahrb. Hamb. wiss. Anst. xvi. p. 16. Perichceta sangirensis, Michaelsen, Jahrb. Hamb. wiss. Anst. vm. p. 334; id. ibid. xvi. p. 76. P. vitiensis, Beddard, Ann. Nat. Hist. (6) ix. p. 131. P. crassicgstis, Michaelsen, Abh. Senck. nat. Ges. xxiii. p. 204. P. malamaniensis, Benham, Journ. Linn. Soc, Zool. xxvi. p. 213. P. ariuri, id. ibid. p. 205 ; Beddard, Willey's Zool. Ees. p. 184. P. atheca, Eosa, Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova, (2) xvi. p. 520. P. zonoporus, Eosa, Ann. Nat. Hist. (7) ii. p. 288. ? Perichceta sangirensis, Horst, Notes Leyd. Mus. xv. p. 317 ; and Zool. Ergebn. p. 68. Megascolex montanus, Vaillant, Anneles, 1889, p. 69. 90-150 mm., 110-113 segments. Setae larger on anterior segments, with slight dorsal gap. 30 on v., 60 on xxvi. Sperm-sacs often with dorsal process. Septum viii./ix. often present. Spermiducal glands usually divided completely into two halves. Duct much bent, terminal sac with a penis. Spermathecal diverticulum nearly as long as or as long as pouch. Hab. Celebes, Sumatra, Sangir, Halmabera, Ternate, Malaman, N e w Britain, Viti, Upolu, Tahiti. I cannot see how the forms in the above list can be separated. They have, for the most part, a rich violet colour, often showing bandings. As a rule the worms are fairly stout, and the measurements and the number of setae agree, except in minutiae, in the various descriptions. It may be that it will be necessary to distinguish those forms in which the spermiducal gland is not divided into two from the others. It, is not clear, for example, whether this is or is not the case with zonoporus. The alleged greater complexity of the penial apparatus iu some individuals from others seems to m e to be uot quite certain from the data. I have been able to dissect (through the kindness of Dr. Michaelsen) two individuals labelled by him Perichceta sangirensis. They differ from such examples of arturi (very badly preserved) as I have seen by the fact that the terminal muscular bursa, appended to the spermiducal gland, is relatively small and rounded, and without a projecting penial sac. However, this sac was distinctly less obvious in some specimens. And there is a further reduction of it, as shown by Benham's figure of the corresponding parts of malamaniensis. Perichceta novarce as described by Michaelsen seems to have a larger and rather more complex terminal bursa, like those of arturi and malamaniensis, and not like the smaller bursa of my vitiensis, which is more after the fashion of sangirensis. If a line of division is to be made at all, I should unite arturi, malamaniensis, and novarce, leaving the others to form a second group. |