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Show 892 MR. F. E. BEDDARD ON THE [Dec. 4, anatomy of Earthworms. The extraordinary reduction in size of the spermathecae in the new species A. virgo must therefore be considered as one of the more important new facts which 1 detail here. It is interesting to notice that the reduction in size is apparently not accompanied by a reduction in number, and certainly not by an increase in number, as with the small but numerous spermathecae of such a form as Microchceta. The marked resemblance in A. biporus between the " genital papilla)" of segment xix. and the male pores, confirmed by microscopic investigation, seems to indicate the remnant of a second pair of spermiducal glands, which is new to the genus. In other respects tbe species represented in the collection show no particularly noteworthy divergences in structure from other species of Amyntas. W e shall now proceed to the description of the new species, after mentioning the forms already known to science. (1) Amyntas posthumus l Vaillant. (2) Amyntas cingulatus' Vaillant. These two species, the latter, as I believe, with many synonyms, are so widely spread, and have been so frequently reported upon and described, that I have nothing of novelty to add to existing descriptions. (3) Amyntas bosschae Horst. Perichceta bosschee, Horst, Notes Leyd. Mus. xv. p. 324. Perichceta bosschee, Michaelsen, Abh. Senck. Ges. xxiii. p. 238. Amyntas bosschee, Beddard, P. Z. S. 1900, p. 625. It is rather curious that the collection contains a number of specimens of a species of Earthworm which really does appear to be identical with A. bosschee. It is at least extremely near to that species, and I do not attempt at present to separate'it. Nor do I give a full description, since that has been done. In size and general external appearance A. bosschee is very like A. pulanensis, which I describe later ; but it has no genital papillae. I find, as did Michaelsen, that there are three pairs of sperm-sacs in segments x.-xii. The spermiducal glands, however, are not compact and small; they extend through segments xv.-xx. aud are much broken up into lobules. Their short duct is coiled into a circle or is perfectly straight. The spermatheca) agree rather with Michaelsen's than with Horst's description. Hab. Khota Bharu. (4) Amyntas papulosus Rosa. Perichceta papulosa, Rosa, Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova, (2) xvi. p. 525. Amyntas papulosus, Beddard, P. Z. S. 1900, p. 644. I have examined two specimens which are undoubtedly referable 1 For synonymy and localities see Beddard, P. Z. S. 1900, pp. 641, 615. |