British Enchytrmids. By Rev. H. Friend. 129 



Italy, England seems to be at present considerably ahead of other 

 countries in the number of known species. 



Owing to the uncertainty which still prevails in reference to 

 the genus Enchytrs&us, it has been thought desirable to omit con- 

 sideration of that group also for the present. This leaves us with 

 eight genera for our present study, viz. Achseta, Fridericia, Buch- 

 holzia, Henlea, Bryodrilus, Mescnchytrseus, Grania, and Chamsedrilus. 

 Stercutus, Hydrenchytrmus, Michaelseni, Distichopus, Hepatog 'aster, 

 and Chirodrihis are at present unknown in Great Britain. 



I.— SPECIES NEW TO SCIENCE. 

 a. The Genus Buchholzia.. 



In the year 1900, when Michaelsen published his Oligochseta 

 (4), two species only of Buchholzia were known to science, and 

 these differed from each other so widely that one could hardly see 

 how they could both be members of the same genus. The inter- 

 vening years have brought other species to light which must for 

 the present be spoken of as members of the genus Buchholzia ; but 

 they still further illustrate the difficulty of finding true generic 

 characters. One of the new species about to be described is 

 evidently a connecting link between this and other genera, and 

 might well have been named intermedia, but that when a further 

 revision is required such a name would be robbed of much of its 

 significance. 



1. Buchholzia focale sp. n. 



Length, 8-10 mm. Segments number about 45. While the 

 chloragogen cells often give it a dark appearance, it is white and 

 transparent. Setae 2-3 in posterior region of body, 3 dorsal and 

 4 ventral as a rule in anterior bundles ; not arranged as the setse 

 of Fridericia are, with the shortest in the middle of the bundle, 

 but sigmoid and fallax- like, i.e. the shortest near the middle line. 

 Setae persisting on the girdle segment to a late period. Chlora- 

 gogen cells very large, almost black under the lens, commencing 

 in segment f>. Ccelomic corpuscles varying in size and shape, 

 from round to oval or discoid, pointed, brownish, nucleated. 

 Three pairs of septal glands normal in shape and position. Blood 

 sometimes yellowish in colour. Body frequently glandular, and 

 segments annulated. Nerve chord enlarged in front. Brain about 

 1^ X 1, concave before and behind, Henlean in type. The origin 

 of the dorsal vessel also in 12/13 is Henlean. Three specimens 

 carefully examined all agreed in this peculiarity as in every other. 

 Girdle normal on the 12th segment, extending over 12 and half 

 13, with fairly large cells. Sperm funnel about 2x1, with long 



