74 EARTHWORMS AND THEIR ALLIES [ch. 



Rhinodrilus, Pontoscolex, Andiodrilus, Glossoscolex, 

 Notiodrilus, Microscolex, Dichogaster, Kerria and 

 Ocnerodrilus. But with the exception of Hesperosco- 

 lex, which seems to belong rather to Central America 

 and the West Indies, Microscolex and Pontoscolex 

 which are world-wide and whose original home is 

 therefore difficult to fix, and Dichogaster and Ocnero- 

 drilus which would seem rather to be rare immigrants 

 (perhaps not truly indigenous) into South America, 

 these genera are practically distinctively South 

 American. 



Thus we may fairly say that the genera Anteoides, 

 Opisthodrilus, Andiodrilus, Holoscolex, Glossoscolex, 

 Rhinodrilus, Andiorrhinus, Flmoscolex, Enantio- 

 drilus, Notiodrilus, Chilota, Yagansia and Kerria 

 are at least very distinctive of S. America and that 

 they are represented by the large majority of species 

 found in that continent, the total being 120 or slightly 

 more. 



Leaving the American Continent and adjacent 

 islands and archipelagos, the next great land-mass 

 to receive attention will be the Continent of Africa. 

 In giving a census of the species and genera of earth- 

 worms which inhabit this quarter of the globe it 

 must be premised that the facts relate only to Africa 

 south of the Sahara. But little is known of the 

 genera which occur in Algeria and Morocco, but from 

 what little is known it is clear that they should come 



