BY J. J. FLETCHER. 1017 



half an inch from the burrows in little cavities which are after- 

 wards neatly packed with voided earth, forming moist chambers." 

 The cocoons sent varied slightly in shape from nearly spherica-l to 

 ovate, or almost elliptical, from 5x4-5 mm. to 6 x 4 mm. ; colour 

 yellow or dull yellowish-brown ; usually with one end slightly 

 drawn out; one cocoon contained an embryo 15mm. long; the 

 others had been more recently deposited, but owing to an unfortu- 

 nate accident which befel them I am unable to give any further 

 particulars respecting them. These are the only cocoons of 

 Australian earthworms I have yet seen, as though I have collected 

 3xtensively I have not so far had the good fortune to meet with 

 them. 



Perich^ta Stirlingi, F1., I.e. (2), II. (1887), p. 395. 



An additional series of 14 good specimens very successfully 

 killed in a fairly extended state by Mr. Zietz comprises examples 

 fi'om 105 mm. long, 3-4 mm. broad (juv.) to 22Qmm. long, 9-10 mm. 

 broad; number of segments 120-190-200 segments. 



Setae : the full number (probably about 24) not present on the 

 first setigerous segment (ii) in any of the specimens, though a few 

 have 10 on at least one side of the body, but even then one or two 

 are probably missing, the tenth seta (counting from the ventral 

 surface) not being so near the mid-dorsal line as the uppermost 

 setae on succeeding segments ; on the next two segments 12 or 13 

 may be met with at least on one side ; on the following segments for 

 some distance the number may increase to 14 on one or both sides ; 

 still further back 16-18 may occur on one or both sides, and quite 

 posteriorly the total number may increase to 40 or a few more per 

 segment. As in other species fewer setae than the numbers speci- 

 fied for the different regions may frequently be met with ; and 

 while the variation in number on some segments is evidently due 

 to the mere accidental absence of setae owing to breakage or wear 

 and tear, in other cases it is owing to the frequent absence of one 

 or two or more of the uppermost (dorsal) setae of the half-series, 

 and this in the absence of any definite information as to the dorsal 



