250 California Earth-lVonns. [zOE 



phora, dark brown in color and which inhabits wet places. 

 There is no Lumbricus. By far the most numerous worms 

 belong to the family of Eudrilidae. They are easily distinguished 

 by their pinkish color, coupled with the fact that the male 

 papillae open in the posterior part of the clitellum. There are 

 of this family two distinct genera with at least four or five 

 species, some of which are large, others very small, resembling 

 in size Ocnerodrilidse, which latter genus is represented by at 

 least one species, which however may be of southern importation, 

 as its distribution is exceedingly limited. In Baja California 

 two genera of this family are represented by at least two species, 

 and in Mexico and Central America by many. It possesses a 

 large southern distribution. 



I have so far distinguished the following genera and species 

 in California, of which a more detailed account is soon to be 

 published in the publications of the California Academy of 

 Sciences of San Francisco. 



DELTANIA GEN. NOV- 



Prostomium dovetails somite i. Eight setse in four couples,, 

 beginning on somite ii. Setae of the inner couples in the genital 

 region converging towards the male pore. Buccal cavity, pharynx^ 

 oesophagus and sacculated intestine, but no gizzard and typhlo- 

 sole, nor oesophageal pouches. Clitellum xiii to xvii. No dorsal 

 pores. Testes in x and xi. Spermsacs present and free. Sper- 

 matheca present or absent. Ovary one pair in xiii, oviduct in xiv. 

 No ovisac. Spermducts open in xvii together with a large paired 

 prostate. The spermducts join the muscular part of the prostate 

 in the body wall. Penial setae open in the same duct as the prostate. 

 No subneural vessel. The anterior few nephridia open in front of 

 seta 4, the posterior nephridia in front of seta 3. All nephridia 

 furnished with a large terminal bladder near the body wall. 



Small, transparent, glossy worms with orange-colored clitel- 

 lum, living in moist, especially sandy soil. The genus differs 

 from Microscolex principally by the deltoid arrangement of the 

 ventral setae in the vicinity of the male pore. 



The genus appears indigenous to the American Continent, 

 species having, however, been found in Australia and Madeira, 



