v] RELATIVE FREQUENCY 81 



this part of the world where it is represented by five 

 species. Finally we come to the last sub-family that 

 of the Ocnerodrilinae, which is represented by a 

 species apiece of the genera Ocnerodrilus, Nemato- 

 genia and Gordiodrilus. The latter species G. 

 travancorensis is alone to be regarded as endemic 

 and it is very near to the African G. zanzibaricus, 

 described some years since by the present author. 



The remaining family of terricolous Oligochaeta 

 found in India is the family Moniligastridae which is 

 practically limited to this part of the world and 

 consists of at least twenty species distributed among 

 the genera Moniligaster, Eupolygaster, Desmogaster 

 and Draivida, the majority belonging to the last- 

 named genus. 



This quarter of the globe is therefore inhabited 

 by 18 genera which are certainly truly endemic, and 

 which comprise between them about 120 species. 

 But only four or five genera are peculiar. 



The remainder of the Asiatic Continent is not 

 very well explored with regard to its earthworm 

 inhabitants. It seems clear however that the southern 

 and coastal region of China and Japan with the Malay 

 peninsula are really continuous with the mass of 

 islands which lie between India and Australia and 

 form together a tract of land which is characterised 

 by an Oligochaetous fauna differing from both that 

 of India on the one hand and Australia on the other. 

 b. e. 6 



