Smith. — Notes on New Zealand Earthworms. Ill 



"We then laid a dynamite cartridge on the head, with a short 

 fuse attached, the explosion of which effectually stunned it. 

 and then we were ahle to get a rope round it and to tow it to 

 the breakwater. Our rope not being strong enough to lift it by, 

 we used the chain sling and the grab of the ' Hercules.' Judg- 

 ing from the power it required to lift it, the engineer reckoned 

 that the weight must have been about 3i tons. The length 

 from head to tail was 9ft., and the measurement from tip to 

 tip of the upper and lower fins was lift. Gin. When the fish 

 was brought out of the water, the body was found to be covered 

 with small red insects, like what are commonly known as whale- 

 feed. We tried to skin it, but did not succeed, as it seemed 

 impossible to separate the skin from the flesh, which was like 

 a mass of white indiarubber. The eye looked small, only 

 about 2in. in diameter ; but when it was opened out it was 

 found to be about the size of a 561b. shot. As soon as it was 

 dead — about 3 o'clock in the afternoon — a long worm began to 

 come out from the mouth, the end of which had not appeared 

 when the fish was buried two days afterwards. 



"William J. Fox." 



The worm mentioned in Mr. Fox's account as having come 

 out from the mouth is said to have been like a narrow tape, 

 and many yards in length. 



Art. XV. — Further Notes on New Zealand Earthworms, with 



Observations on the known Aquatic Species. 



By W. W. Smith. 

 Communicated by E. M. Laing, B.Sc. 



[Read before the Philosophical Instihitc of Canterbury, 5th October, 1892.] 



Since my last paper on New Zealand earthworms :;: our know- 

 ledge of the group has been greatly augmented by a series 

 of valuable papers by Mr. F. E. Beddard, F.B.S., on the 

 anatomical structure of ten new species. These beautifully- 

 illustrated papers on New Zealand earthworms have appeared 

 during the last five years in several British scientific journals, 

 and, like several anomalous species in other indigenous groups, 

 several of them described are unique among terrestrial Oligo- 

 chceta. In addition to these papers, others have appeared on 

 several unique and remarkable native species belonging to the 

 aquatic group, which have also been described and figured in 



* Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xix., p. 123. 



