THE OrJGOCH.ETA OF NATAL AND ZULULAND. 487 



specimen). Mfongosi, Zululand ; T. VV. Jones, September, 

 1911 (several mature specimens). 



Zululand (teste Beddard). Umfolozi, Zululand (teste 

 Michael sen). 



Almost at the same time Beddard and myself published 

 descriptions of an earthworm from Zululand which refer to 

 the same species. Owing to Beddard^s priority, my name, 

 Microcha3tus zulu, becomes a synonym. 



Professor Collett, of the Christiania Museum, has kindly 

 lent to me for re-examination the type of Beddard^s species, 

 and I, consequently, am able to confirm the identity of M. 

 zuluensis Bedd. and M. zulu Mich. The figure given by 

 Beddard' differs considerably from the diagnosis given by me 

 for M. zulu. But the text-figure is incorrect in many points, 

 principally in the arrangement of the setas and in the annula- 

 tion. It shows all the segments simple and of equal length, 

 while the type-specimen of M. zulnensis exhibits the same 

 difference in the length of the segments of the body in front 

 of the clitellum as the type of M. zulu, and also the same 

 biannulation of segments 4-10. 



Both descriptions were based upon immature or badly 

 preserved specimens, and I now take the opportunity of 

 giving a fresh description with the aid of well preserved 

 material.' 



External Chakacters. — Dimensions of mature specimens 

 provided with a clitellum : length 90 nnn., diameter 8-9 mm. 

 (at the clitellum 11), number of segments 102 ; length 145 mm., 

 diameter 12-14 mm. (at clitellum 16), number of segments 138 ; 

 length 185 mm., diameter 9-11 mm., number of segments 135. 



Colour grey with a slight greenish tint dorsally, yellowish 

 grey ven,trally. 



M. zuluensis is a rather clumsy, thick and short worm 

 with a relatively very small number of segments. The 

 variation in number is small, fluctuating in general between 

 131 and 135. But one extraordinarily small specimen shows 

 a considerable variation, being composed of only 102 segments; 

 ' Loc. cit., text-fitf. 86. 



