194 Transactions. — Zoology. 



bi'istles had to be examined under an oil-immersion lens 

 for thorough investigation. After sorting the worms into 

 groups in this manner one or more of each group was then 

 stained and mounted entire for a preliminary examination of 

 the internal structure ; and further examples of each had to be 

 cut into a series of transverse sections and series of longi- 

 tudinal sections, each section being about o^^in. in thickness, 

 or even less, in order that the internal anatomy might be 

 thoroughly explored, for by this method alone can the dif- 

 ferences between species, and even genera, be properly deter- 

 mined. Those who have had experience in this minute micro- 

 scopic work will perhaps appreciate the length of time required 

 and the tedious nature of the work of identification. 



Of the nine genera, five are common in Europe and North 

 America, the only localities in which these annelids have 

 received adequate attention ; these five are — Tuhifex, Limno- 

 drilus, EnchytrcBus, AchcBta, and Haplotaxis. 



Of these probably cosmopolitan genera Limnodrilus and 

 Haplotaxis have already been recorded from New Zealand, 

 but the species of Limnodrilus referred to by Beddard was 

 immature, and was too insufficiently characterized to be 

 identifiable ; I have found it necessary to make two new 

 species of Limnodrilus. Of Haplotaxis one species has 

 hitherto been recorded from New Zealand, one from Europe, 

 one from America. I thus add a fourth to the list — a second 

 from New Zealand. 



A sixth genus, Phreodrilus, has hitherto been found only 

 in South America, Falkland Islands, Kerguelen, and New 

 Zealand. I have to add, as a result of my investigaiions, two 

 new species, one of which, unfortunately, is represented only 

 by a single immature individual ; but the other. Ph. lacustris, 

 is common in Lake Wakatipu, and one interesting fact 

 about it is that it is more nearly allied to the Kerguelen 

 Island species than to the other New Zealand species. This 

 is a very remarkable fact, especially in conjunction with 

 similar facts observed in the case of certain of our earth- 

 worms (Notiodrilus) presenting a similar distribution, where 

 the species from the Macquarie and from the Auckland 

 Islands are more nearly related to the South American and 

 Falkland Island species than to those living on our mainland. 



Two other genera, Plutellus and Diporochceta, are Aus- 

 tralian. The former has not hitherto been met with here, 

 though two species of the latter have been recorded. 



The ninth and last genus difiers from any hitherto known 

 to science, and I have named it Taupodrilus, to indicate the 

 fact that it occurs cliaracteristically in Lake Taupo. 



When we consider the many endemic genera of terrestrial 

 worms occurring in New Zealand, and the generally unique 



