BY J. J. FLETCHER. 1013 



dorsad of the second row (i.e. a little dorsad of the position thej 

 occupy in the typical forms) ; ventrad of the papillae the depressions 

 may become confluent, and in the most mature (but still immature) 

 examples they extend inwards, while the ventral surface between 

 the papillre shows a tendency to become modified and the depres- 

 sions to be bounded by a raised rim. Translucent dots or little 

 pits are commonly present on xviii, one or two on each side in 

 front, and two or three on each side behind the papillae^ the latter 

 nearer to the median line. 



The spermathecal pores are in front and dorsad of the first sette 

 on the margins of viii and ix, a little more dorsad than in the 

 typical form. 



Dorsal pores : the first one appears to be that between xii and 

 XIII, though there sometimes appears to be a rudimentary one 

 between xi and xii ; the first not always readily made out in my 

 specimens, and on the clitellum blocked up. 



Alimentary canal : six pairs of calciferous pouches in viii-xiil. 



In other respects agreeing substantially as far as I know at 

 present with the typical forms. From the condition of the cli- 

 tellum, the accessory copulatory structures, and the ventral sur- 

 face of xviii, evidently none of the specimens are quite mature. 



Zra6.— Near Gosford, N.S.W. 



With the exception perhaps of C, Tryoni, the larger examples 

 referred to above are the finest and most robust earthworms I 

 have yet seen belonging to the genus Gryptodrilus. Nevertheless 

 except in regard to size, the body comprising a few more segments, 

 and the very slightlj^ more dorsally situated male and sperma- 

 thecal pores I am unable to make out any satisfactory important 

 points of external diff'erence from the typical forms. Irrespective 

 of the presence of an additional pair of calciferous pouches there 

 are so many points of agreement that, with var. montanus as 

 an intermediate link, at present it seems to me to be best con- 

 sidered as a local variety inhabiting the rich soil of the brushes 

 the typical form and the var. tnontanus occurring in areas of good 

 but much poorer soil, in the Hawkesbury sandstone area. 



