ABRANCHIATE. 



FAMILY I. 



ABttANCHIATiE SETIGER^. 



This first family comprises the Lumbrici and Naidea of Linnaeus. 



LUMBRICUS, Lin. 



The Earth-worms, as they are commonly called, characterized by a 

 long cylindrical body, divided by rugae into a great number of 

 rings, ami !> an < d. ntated mouth, necessarily required to be sub- 

 divided. 



LUMBKICCS, CUV. 



Eyes, tentacula, branchiae and cirri, all wanting; a tubercle or visible 

 enlargement, particularly sensible in the nuptial season, serves to 

 attach the two sexes to each other in coitu. The intestine is straight 

 and rugose, and in the anterior part of the bocty we observe some 

 whitish glands which appear to be concerned in the process of gene- 

 ration. The Lumbrici are certainly hermaphrodites, but it is possi- 

 ble that their coalescing may serve to excite them to the act of self- 

 impregnation. According to the observations of M. Montegre, the 

 ova descend between the intestine and the external envelope, to the 

 circumference of the rectum, where they are hatched. The young 

 ones issue, living, from the anus. M. Leon Dufour, on the contrary, 

 affirms that their ova resemble those of the Leech. The nervous 

 cord it nothing more than a crowded suite of numerous little 

 ganglia*. 



M. Savigny subdivides them again. 



His ENTERIONBS have four pairs of small setae, eight in all, under 

 each ring. 



Every one knows the Common Earth-worm Lvmdrtcus ter- 

 strisi L. with a reddish body, that attains nearly a foot in 

 length, and which is composed of upwards of one hundred and 

 twenty rings. The tubercle is near the anterior third. Under 

 the sixteenth ring are two pores, the use of which is unknown. 



This animal traverses the soil in every direction, and swallows 

 a quantity of earth. It also eats roots, ligneous fibres, animal 

 fragments, &c. In the month of June it rises to the surface 

 during the night, to seek for a companion in the proce^> <>\ 

 copulation f. 



* Conf. Montfegre, Mem. du Mus., I, p. 242, pi. xii, and Leon Dufour, Ann. des 

 Sc. Nat. V, p. 17, and XIV. p. 216, ami pi. xii, H, f. l 4. 



See also the treatise of Morrcn, De Lumbrici Terrestris Hisforia Nalurali nee non 

 AnaioMica, Onus., 1899, 4 to. 



f What is here stated is common to many species, first ascertained by M. Sa- 

 vigny. He has distinguished twenty of them. See my Analyse des Travaux do 

 1'Acad. des Sc., 1821. M. Dugta distinguishes six, but does not refer thtin exactly 

 to those of M. Savigny. 



N. 11. Miiller and Fabricius speak of Lumbrici with two setae to eath ring, of 

 which s.-uk'iiy proposes to make his genus CLITBLLIO, (Lumbricus min, tits, Fub., 

 Faun., Gra-nl., f. 4), and of others with four and six setae ; but tl.eir discriptiuus 

 require to be confirmed and completed ere their species can be classed. 



