94 EARTHWORMS AND THEIR ALLIES [oh. 



The range of Microscolex seems to be much the 

 same as that of Notiodrilus ; but it is a little uncertain 

 how far the genus is really autochthonous in the 

 countries where it occurs ; and in any case it differs 

 from Notiodrilus in occurring in Europe, where the 

 species has been named for a long time M.phosphoreus. 

 We do not positively know whether this is ' peregrine' 

 in Europe or not. 



The range of the antarctic Acanthodrilinae is in 

 a sense continuous ; for they argue the former north- 

 ward extension of the antarctic continent and in any 

 case they occupy neighbouring land masses. In 

 Octochaetus and Plutellus the case is different and 

 one of real discontinuity. There are however cases 

 of wide range which is also actually continuous and 

 such is afforded by the genus Pheretima. This genus 

 appears to be possibly indigenous to Australia; in 

 any case it reaches from the Solomon Islands on the 

 east to India towards the west, being found in all 

 intermediate continents, while it reaches Japan on 

 the north side of this large area. 



There are other genera which extend their range 

 over a considerable area, but which are not so 

 widely distributed as these which we have just been 

 considering. Thus Diporoclmeta is chiefly Australian 

 but also reaches even the South Island of New Zealand 

 and the southward lying antarctic islands. Desmo- 

 gaster and Eiipolygaster among the Moniligastridae 



