284 Transactions. — Zoology. 



The new genus Dinodriloides is allied to Dinodrilus of the 

 South Island, of which only one species is at present known. 

 There are five species belonging to the subfamily Acanthodrilince : 

 the remaining seven belong to a new genus, allied to the 

 ( i \ ptodriline series of Australia. 



The genus Tokea (from the Maori take, an earthworm) is very 

 widely distributed over the North Island, as will be seen from 

 the varied localities at which it has been collected — from Ohae- 

 awai at the north to Ruatahuna in the south-east portion of 

 the island.* It is probably the commonest earthworm in these 

 parts, as two species occur in and around Auckland, three species 

 at Ruatahuna, and from the majority of the other localities 

 no other genus has been received. It is, so far, unknown in the 

 South Island. 



To this list of new species from the North Island we must 

 add Beddard's species, Maoridrilus plumbeus and Microscolex 

 monticola, from Mount Pirongea, described in 1895. But before 

 that date Schmarda described " Hypogceon orthostic]ion,' n from 

 '" Mount Wellington, New Zealand." This worm is now placed, 

 by those who have re-examined the specimen, in the genus 

 Notoscolex, a thoroughly characteristic Australian genus ; and 

 doubt has been thrown on the accuracy of Schmarda's statement 

 that it was collected in New Zealand — firstly, because no 

 representative of that genus had hitherto been found here, and 

 secondly, because there is no " Mount Wellington " of conspicuous 

 size in New Zealand. It has been suggested that the well-known 

 mountain of that name near Hobart was the real source whence 

 Schmarda obtained the worm, and that the words " New 

 Zealand " were due to a lapsus calami^ ; and I went so far as 

 to refer to it, in a note read before the Australasian Association 

 for the Advancement of Science at Hobart in 1902, as a 

 " neglected Tasmanian earthworm." But these two reasons for 

 doubt may now be laid aside — for, firstly, the genus Tokea is 

 closely allied to Notoscolex, and the differences are such that 

 unless particular attention were paid to the points of difference 

 they might readily be overlooked, and the description is 

 insullicii'iit to decide the question : it is possible, then, that 

 Schmarda's worm may indeed belong to this new genus Token. 

 Then, secondly, in reply to a query from me, Professor Kirk 

 informs me that " Mount Wellington is the name of a small 

 volcanic cone just outside Auckland, now under cultivation"; 

 so that the suggestion of a geographical error seems to have 



*I have recently received speck's of tin- genus from Little Barrier 

 Island. 



■\ Mutton, ••( atalogueof the Wormsof New Zealand," Trans. N.Z. Inst., 

 xi., footnote, |>. 1517. 



