Benham. — New Species of Leech (Hirudo antipodum). 187 



have expected that a new genus would represent it here. 

 It is possible, as I indicate below, that a new genus should 

 be formed for it, but in the absence of the necessary time 

 I must leave the more detailed examination of internal cha- 

 racters till a future occasion. At present I discuss only 

 the external features, all of which agree precisely with those 

 enumei'ated by Professor Whitman* as being characteristic of 

 Hirudo. This genus is represented in Australia — at any rate, 

 in New South Wales— by H. australis, Besisto, described by 

 Grube {loc. cit., p. 40) and figured by Schmarda.f But this 

 species differs from the New Zealand species in colour, size, 

 and the character of the jaws. 



Hirudo antipodum, n. sp. 



Diagnosis. 



The general coloration (in specimens preserved in formol) 

 is as follows : Ground-colour of a pale coffee-brown, faintly 

 toned with reddish ventrally. On the dorsal surface are 5 

 black bands — viz., [a) a median band of considerable width 

 (about a quarter the breadth of the body) ; (&) a supramar- 

 ginal band rather narrower than this, and separated from the 

 former by a space wider than itself ; and (c) a linear streak 

 separating this strip of ground-colour into two nearly equal 

 strips. The ventral surface pale-brown, slightly speckled 

 with black, and usually with an irregular line of small black 

 dots near the margin. 



Size. — The largest specimen is 48 mm. in length by 12 mm. 

 in breadth, the greatest diameter being in the posterior third 

 of the body ; sucker 8 mm. in diameter. Smallest individual, 

 21 mm. by 6 mm., and the sucker 3 mm. 



JaiDs. — Small, concealed by three large fleshy folds ar- 

 ranged alternately with the jaws ; the latter are longer than 

 broad, with a straight inner margin and convex outer border. 

 There are no distinct denticles, but mere irregularities of the 

 inner margin. 



Locality. — Open Bay Island, off the west coast of the 

 South Island, New Zealand. In amongst the wet roots of 

 grasses, &c., at the bottom of nests of Puffinus sp. 



Description. — The specimens were preserved in formol. 

 The colour in the preserved leeches is a coffee-brown, but in 

 formol a pigment has been extracted which colours the solu- 

 tion green. Some of the individuals were, on arrival at 

 the Museum, transferred to alcohol. This is not discoloured, 

 and the worms are a little darker in tint than the others. 



•Whitman, Q.J. Mic. Sci., xxvi., 1886, p. 316. 



t Schmarda, Neue Wirbellose Th., 1, (2), 1861, pi. xvi., fig. 140. 



