314 Annals of the South African Museum. 



been placed in the genus Hirudo, we regard this as a tentative step, 

 since the differences between such structures as the jaws and those 

 of Hirudo (in its restricted sense) are very great. However, we 

 deem it better to leave them in this genus until anatomical details 

 have been made out. 



One interesting feature about most of the specimens dealt with is 

 that the annuli are arranged in groups between which the furrows 

 are much more pronounced. This grouping of the annuli corre- 

 sponds not only with the metameres, but also with order of origin of 

 the annuli. 



GEN. HIEUDO, Lin. 



Syst. nat. 10th Ed., 1758. 



HIRUDO SEPTEMSTEIATA Grube. 



Two specimens of this species were obtained from Eosmead and 

 three from Eichmond, C.C. 



All the specimens are small, and no doubt represent young 

 individuals, but are interesting as corroborating G rube's account of 

 the occurrence of the species in South Africa. This seems to us 

 very important since the species occupies an important position in 

 the series comprising the various species noted in this paper 

 together with H. capcnsis Grube and H. Hildebrandti Blanchard. 



There seems no necessity to alter the main portion of Grube's 

 definition of the species, namely, that referring to the coloration 

 beyond instituting in place of " ventre concolore," " ventre concolore 

 autem paulo pallidiore." 



The most marked distinction between this and any of the other 

 species is the absence of the marginal yellow band of the dorsal 

 surface. Grube states, "Am Cap von einem Apotheker erhalten, 

 vielleicht aus Ostindien stammend." AVith this we disagree, since 

 the relationship of this form to the other species indicates that it 

 is an endemic form, or at least we maintain that it has been 

 established in South Africa too long to justify such a conclusion. 



Grube figures an obscure band on either side of the median line 

 in the middle and posterior region of the body, but we have been 

 unable to note the existence of such in any of our specimens. 

 Except in the case of the median band there is great difficulty 

 in making out the pigment areas in oui- preserved specimens, and 

 this may account for the apparent absence of such. At the same 

 time we cannot make out the white bands figured by Grube on 

 the dorsal surface of the posterior sucker. Perhaps we have in this 

 good reasons for instituting a new species. 



